THE  BENSON  LIBRARY  OF  HYMNOLOGY 

Endowed  by  the  Reverend 

Louis  Fitzgerald  Benson,  d.d. 


^^LIBR^Y  OF  THE  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 
^"^'■^     ^         PRINCETON,  NEW  JERSEY 


■m 


0  r  R 


JUL  30  1941  * 


CHURCH   ]\ru  S  I  C 


A       BOOK 


iTor  }3ai*itor£5  aub  people: 


RICHARD    STORRS    WILLIS 


2Ccu)-t)ork : 

DANA      A  N  13      COMPANY 

381    Broadway. 


1  85G. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1855, 

By  DANA  &  COMPANY, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  the 
Southern  District  of  New  York. 


R.   C.  VALENTINE, 
Stkrbottpbh  and  Elkctrottpiot,  OEO.  RUSSELL  fe  CO..  Printnra. 

17  Dutch-st.,  cor.  Fulton,  61  Beelcman-atreot,  N.  Y. 

Nbw  Tors. 


CONTENTS. 


PART    I 


Chap.    I.  How  our  Church  Music  goes  on 
II.  A  Chapter  to  the  Clergy 

III.  Church  Music  a  Three-Fold  System 

IV.  Can  we  Worship  by  a  Choir 

V.  A  Sunday  in  a  German  Church 
VI.  Children's  Music  in  Churches 
VII.  The  Position  of  Choirs  and  Organs 


11 
16 
21 
30 
34 
38 


PART    II. 


Cn.tp.    VIII.  Our  Psalms  and  Hymns 

IX.  Comments       ..... 
X.  Wedding  Music  to  Verse 
XI.  On  the  Treatment  of  Words 
XII.  Mutilation  of  Hymns 

XIII.  Musical  Rhetoric 

XIV.  Secular  Effects  in  Church  Music  . 
a.  The  Sentimental,  Languishing  Effect 
h.  The  Dance  Effect. 

r.  The  Rub-a-Dub  Effect. 


,     61 

.  81 
.  88 
.  102 
.  108 
.  117 
.   120 


OUK  CHURCH  MUSIC 


CHAPTER    I. 


HOW  OUR  CHURCH  MUSIC  GOES  O.V. 


It  is  Sunday  morning.  We  are  near  a  place  of  •wor- 
ship :  let  us  enter.  The  assembled  people  are  just  en- 
gaging in  an  act  of  divine  homage — a  song  of  praise  has 
been  announced,  and  the  music  is  arising.     In  what  words 


is  this  act  of  homage  embodied  ?- 


"  Great  God  !    how  infinite  art  Thou  ! 

What  worthless  worms  are  we  ! 
Let  the  whole  race  of  Adam  bow 

And  pay  their  praise  to  Thee. 

Thy  throne  eternal  ages  stood, 
Ere  seas  or  stars  were  made  : 

Thou  art  the  ever-living  God, 
Were  all  the  nations  dead. 

Our  lives  through  varied  scenes  are  drawn, 
And  vexed  with  trifling  cares, 

While  Thine  eternal  thought  moves  on 
Thine  undisturbed  alTairs. 
1 


2  OUR   CHURCH    MUSIC. 

Great  God !    how  infinite  art  Tliou  ! 

What  worthless  worms  are  we  : 
Let  the  whole  race  of  creatures  bow 

And  pay  their  praise  to  Thee." 

WHAT  THE  M1XISTIJR_  IS  DOIXG. 

Seated  in  his  pulpit — (it  is  customary,  here,  for  clergyman 
and  people  at  this  moment  to  be  seated) — he  is  turning 
over  the  leaves  of  his  sermon.  He  is  thinking,  perhaps, 
that  it  is  too  long  :  he  will  curtail  here,  and  condense  there. 
A  felicitous  thought  suddenly  strikes  him — ^lie  is  hastily 
interlining  it  with  his  pencil.  Now  he  is  gazing  dreamily 
about  the  church.  Of  what  is  he  thinking  ?  Perhaps, 
that  the  congregation  is  very  thin  to-day — he  misses  cer- 
tain of  his  parishioners.  Perhaps,  that  a  child  is  to  be 
baptized ;  Have  the  baptismal  party  arrived  in  church  ? 
Perhaps,  that  among  the  notices  to  be  read,  a  certain  com- 
mittee-meeting has  been  forgotten ;  he  must  wink  the 
nearest  church-officer  up  in  the  pulpit  to  him,  to  have  that 
matter  decided.  Or,  he  suddenly  observes  that  the  light 
is  not  right,  and  the  sun  will  soon  be  pouring  in  upon  him 
through  yonder  gallery  window.  Now,  therefore,  he  is 
standing  a  hymn-book  in  a  certain  position  on  the  pulpit, 
as  a  private  signal  to  the  sexton. 

Of  such  matters  may,  or  may  not,  the  good  minister  be 
thinking.  I  hope  we  do  him  no  wrong  ;  but  he  is  certain- 
ly not  engaged  in  rendering  homage  to  his  ]\[aker.  For, 
with  the  simple  announcement  of  the  song  of  praise,  his 
duty  seems  to  have  ended  ;  and  there  is  now  a  short  in- 
termezzo, for  him  to  attend  to  certain  little  matters  of  his 
own,  and  of  the  church  generally.     The  act  of  worship  an- 


OUR  CHURCH   MUSIC. 


nouncocl,  then,  apparently  not  concerning  liim,  luis  proba- 


ble reference  to  ilio  congregation. 


VniAT  THE  CONGREGATION  ARE  DOING. 

Comfortably  seated,  in  erect  and  easy  attitude,  they  ap- 
pear not  unlike  to  people  in  a  concert-room — there  is  a  per- 
formance of  music  going  on,  and  they  are  listening.  Or, 
perhaps  otherwise.  Napoleon  was  very  fond  of  attending 
musical  performances,  not  for  the  music,  but  because  it 
afforded  him  such  an  excellent  opportunity  of  thinking  of 
something  else.  While  the  melody  pleasantly  employed 
his  ear,  liis  mind  could  bo  occupied  with  some  of  his  stu- 
pendous military  designs.  And  thus,  in  the  present  in- 
stance, the  congregation  may  successfully  be  thinlving  of 
something  else.  And  of  what  ? — how  can  we  possibly 
know  ?  The  merchant  may  be  musing,  perhaps,  on  the 
present  state  of  trade — the  broker  on  the  condition  ol 
stocks — the  lawyer  on  the  suit  which  commences  upon 
the  morrow. 

The  gentle  fair  also  of  the  congregation,  have,  doubtless, 
their  o\\ti  characteristic  thoughts.  By  strong  force  of  asso- 
ciation— the  music,  pleasant  people  around  them,  tasteful 
attire — there  may  be  many  of  them,  for  the  moment,  in  a 
concert-room.  The  peculiar  style  of  the  choir-music  may 
possibly  assist  this  delusion.  And,  judging  from  those 
observant  and  scrutinizing  glances,  it  were  not  surprisini^ 
if  the  thoughts  of  the  gentle  wives  and  daughters  were  jusl 
now  somewhat  tinged  with  cherry-colored  ribbons,  as  con- 
trasting, perhaps,  with  the  chaster  effect  of  a  purple  style 
of  trimming. 


4  OUR  CHURCH   MUSIC. 

Let  US  be  just.  Here  and  there  is  a  quiet,  retiring 
figure,  apparently  absorbed  in  the  act  of  devotion,  and  lowly 
and  sweetly  singing  the  praise  of  her  Maker — a  true  wor- 
shipper. Some  such  worshippers,  in  every  church,  un- 
doubtedly there  are. 

AVith  such  occasional  exceptions,  however,  the  act  of 
worship  seems,  after  all,  not  to  concern  the  congregation. 
Then,  it  must  concern  the  choir. 


WHAT  THE  CHOIR  ARE  DOING. 

They  are  performing  the  act  of  devotion,  which,  it  is 
understood,  is  to  be  engaged  in  by  other  people — inasmuch 
as  the  music  is  such  as  to  absorb,  for  itself  alone,  their 
entire  attention.  Sharps  and  accidentals,  generally,  are 
imminent,  and  must  be  sharp-ly  looked  after.  One  of  the 
basses  sees  an  ominous  flat  coming,  which  he  is  troubled 
in  mind  about.  Perhaps  he  secretly  resolves  to  ignore  it 
altogether :  he  can  overleap  it,  and  fairly  reach  the  terra 
firma  of  the  note  beyond.  A  tenor  singer  sees  a  passage 
in  the  prospect  that  lies  just  in  his  voice  :  upon  this  he  is 
preparing  to  display  himself,  and  make  the  auditors  for  the 
moment  aware  that  there  is  a  tenor  singer  in  the  choir. 
A  contralto  is  regarding  with  trepidation  a  duet  ap- 
proaching, which  she  is  to  sing  alone  with  the  first  so- 
prano. 

From  this  it  would  appear,  after  all,  that  the  act  of 
worship  cannot  concern  even  the  choir.  Then  it  certainly 
must  concern  the  organist. 


OUR   CHURCH   MUSIC. 


WHAT  THE  ORG  Ay  1ST  IS  DOLWG. 


"What  has  an  organist  (in  the  present  style  of  Church 
Music)  7iot  to  do  ?  He  must  read  the  music  before  him, 
and  follow  the  words  in  the  hymn-book  by  the  side  of 
the  music.  One  hand  is  on  the  swell  organ  ;  another  on 
the  choir  organ.  AVith  one  foot  he  presses  the  swell  pedal ; 
with  \he  other  foot  he  points  the  pedal  bass.  One  glance 
must  control  the  row  of  registers  on  his  right  ;  another, 
that  on  his  left.  With  one  ear  he  must  listen  to  the  quali- 
ty and  volume  of  tone  he  is  producing  ;  with  the  other,  he 
must  be  careful  to  adapt  this  volume  to  the  voices,  and  to 
keep  choir  and  organ  together.  With  the  rest  of  his  mind, 
then,  still  unemployed,  he  is,  it  is  supposed,  to  engage  in 
the  act  of  devotion. 

We  cannot  but  fear,  then,  that  this  devotional  act  can- 
not even  concern  the  organist.  There  are  only  two  persons 
yet  in  the  Church — we  must  fall  back  upon  the  sexton 
and  the  organ-blower.  But  the  organ-blower  has  the 
treacherous  lead  before  him  to  watch,  and  the  fre- 
quent changes  in  the  organ's  volume,  to  produce  great  ar- 
tistic effects,  seriously  affect  the  wind  ;  the  tell-tale,  conse- 
quently, has  to  be  closely  watched. 


WHAT  THE    SEXTO.y  IS  DOING. 


The  sexton,  if  possessing  those  qualifications  which  are 
presumed  in  sextons,  is  necessarily  an  ubiquitous  and  gen- 
erally-useful person  until  the  sermon  commences.  He 
must  conduct  late  strangers,  like  ourselves,  to  their  seats  ; 
he  must  attend  to  the  furnaces  or  stoves ;  he  must  keep 


6  OUR   CHURCH   MUSIC. 

the  doors  shut ;  he  must  attend  to  the  ventilation  and  the 
light  ;  he  must  have  an  eye  to  the  clergyman,  who  may 
need  his  services  ;  he  must  be  ready  to  call  out  the  up- 
coming doctor  of  the  congregation  for  a  real  (perhaps  an 
imaginary)  patient ; — he  must  do  a  great  many  useful 
things  incumbent  on  a  sexton.  How  can  even  he  have 
been  referred  to  by  the  clergyman  on  announcing  the  act 
of  worship  ? 

Wlio,  then,  are  the  worshippers  here  ?  Clergyman,  con- 
gregation, choir,  organist,  all  seem  to  evade  the  supposi- 
tion.    But  stay — does  it  concern  us  ? 

WHAT  WE  ARE  DOING. 

We  are  observing  whether  others  worship — when  we 
ought  to  be  doing  something  better.  Our  motive,  at  the 
moment,  may  not  be  a  bad  one  :  but  still — we  are  not 
worshipping. 

From  all  of  this  we  are  constrained  to  think,  then, 
that  when  the  clergyman  read  those  lines  of  the  foregoing 
hymn — 

Let  the  whole  race  oj  creatures  bow 
And  pay  their  praise  to  Thee, 

that  he  meant,  first,  not  that  the  creatures  addressed 
should  literally  bow,  or  assume,  in  any  manner,  a  respect- 
ful and  deferential  attitude,  but — quietly  remain  seated. 
And,  second,  that  not  the  "  whole  race  of  creatures" 
should  engage  in  this  act  of  homage,  but  just  as  many  as 
chose,  or  whomever  in  the  congregation  it  might  haply 
concern  to  attend  to  this  matter. 


OUR  CHURCH  music.  7 

Therefore,  this  general  act  of  worship  announced,  resolves 
itself  into  tluft  of  the  optional,  scattering  few,  whom  we 
have  observed,  here  and  there,  engaged  in  their  devotions. 

Now,  if  the  picture,  thus  presented,  of  our  American 
churches  when  the  music  is  going  on,  be  overdrawn,  the 
just  reader  will  of  course  modify  it,  or  reject  it.  If  it  be 
true,  his  own  judgment  will  best  suggest  what  application 
to  make  of  it. 

If  such,  however,  to  any  extent,  be  the  present  state  of 
our  Church  ^lusic,  then  there  would  really  seem  to  be 
something  radically  wrong  in  the  matter.  Either  words 
do  not  mean  what  they  seem  to  mean,  and  a  hymn  which 
reads  like  a  direct  and  continuous  appeal  to  the  Supreme 
Being,  is  not  the  solemn  prayer  which,  in  other  cases,  we 
should  certainly  tliink  it : — or,  our  hymns  are  mere  forms 
of  words  for  musical  expression  and  effect  ;  chiefly  useful 
in  articulating  the  music,  like  the  /a,  la  of  a  solfeggio  ex- 
ercise : — or,  there  is  some  grand  misapprehension  as  to  the 
signification  of  the  term  worship,  as  applied  when  not  re- 
ferring to  music  ;  as  involving  an  act  of  intelligent  homage 
on  the  part  of  each  individual — not  a  vague  any  one,  or  no 
one  of  the  congregation  :  an  act  which  has  a  beginning,  a 
continuation,  an  end :  just  like  any  other  deliberate  act ; 
just  like  a  prayer. 

It  is  certainly  not  for  me,  or  any  other  individual,  to 
say  what  the  music  of  the  Church  shall  positively  signify, 
any  further  than  the  words  themselves,  which  are  put  into 
my  mouth  and  the  mouths  of  others,  shall  define  and  de- 
termine this  signification.  But  these  words,  in  most  in- 
stances, as  in  the  familiar  hymn  quoted,  imply  actual  wor- 


8  OUR    CHURCH   MUSIC. 

ship.  Worship,  then — I  am  justified  in  supposing — is  the 
meaning  of  the  music  in  such  instances.  But,  is  it  view- 
ed, or  at  all  acted  upon,  as  worship  ? 

Kow,  if  music  can  be  beautifully  wedded  to  worship,  it 
seems  desirable  to  know  it ;  and  how  it  can  be  done.  If 
it  cannot,  it  is  equally  well  to  know  it,  in  order  that  what- 
ever we  do,  we  do  intelligently. 

The  nature  of  worship,  I  have  taken  occasion  in  the  en- 
suing pages  early  to  consider,  as  lying  at  the  foundation  of 
our  subject.  Before  passing  to  this,  however,  and  other 
kindred  topics,  it  may  serve  a  good  purpose  to  present  the 
reverse  of  the  picture  just  drawn,  in  a  church  otherwise 
engaged  in  its  Sunday  music.  Perhaps  an  imaginary 
church ;  perhaps,  in  certain  particulars,  one  discoverable 
often  enough,  to  render  it  of  possible  presentment  in  the 
churchly  world. 

WHAT  THE  CLERGYMAN  IS  DOINQ. 

He  is  standing,  book  in  hand,  intently  absorbed  in  the 
music-prayer  now  arising  to  heaven.  Perhaps  he  is  even 
singing !  His  impressive  example  of,  at  least,  spiritual  par- 
ticipation in  the  act  of  worship,  would  effectively  impress 
the  congregation — if  they  were  not,  just  now,  attending  to 
something  better. 

WHAT  THE  coy  GREG  ATIOy  ARE  DOiyC. 

Conscious  of  the  august  Presence  they  have  just  in- 
yoked,  they  are  on  their  feet.  Having  invoked  this 
Presence,  they  do  not  stand  mute  and  silent  there,  as  though 


oi'R  ciruRcn  music.  9 

the  invocation  were  entirely  without  purpose  :  but  eacli, 
for  liiniself,  is  quietly  hynuiing  his  praise  to  the  Almighty  ; 
or  eonfessiniT  his  delinqneneies,  or  solieiting  forgiveness. 
Tliere  is  not  much  noise — why  should  there  be  ? — but  a 
solemn  musieal  murmur  is  spreading  through  the  congre- 
gation, and  filling  the  house.  None  present  are  listening 
to  the  eftect  of  congregational  singing  to  see  how  they  like 
it.  The  congregation  are  not  worshipping  G-od  for  the  ef- 
fect of  it — no  one  is  asked  or  expected  to  listen,  or  see 
how  they  like  it.  Each  is  supposed  to  participate  in  it. 
If  not  vocally,  from  real,  or  only  supposed  incompetency, 
at  least  spiritually. 

There  are,  therefore,  no  lawyers  ;  no  merchants  ;  no 
physicians  ;  no  fashionable  women,  as  such  ;  and  no  cler- 
gymen, at  this  moment  in  the  house — or  persons  whose 
thoughts  are  running  in  this  direction.  They  are  all  wor- 
shippers ;  and  paying  their  homage  to  heaven  from  one 
common  level  of  devotion. 


WHAT  THE  CHOIR  ARE  DOING. 

The  choir  is  at  this  moment  identical  with  the  congrega- 
tion. There  is  no  choir — they  are  all  worshippers.  No 
longer  engrossedVith  the  difficulties  of  musical  execution, 
no  longer  excited  by  the  ambition  of  musical  display,  they 
are  momentarily  at  rest,  in  the  sacred  calm  of  devotion. 

WHAT  THE  ORGANIST  IS   DOING. 

The  mu<ic  is  so  simple  and  so  well-known,  that  hands 
and  feet  move  instinctively  through  the  accustomed  paths  of 


10  OUR  cnuRcn  music. 

harmony  as  through  musical  pleasure-grounds  ;  which 
are  so  familiar  that  he  could  move  even  in  darkness,  and 
lay  liis  hand  upon  every  flower.  The  book  is  open  before 
him  ;  his  eyes  are  on  the  words  ;  he  is  singing  as  well  as 
playing  ; — the  organist  is  also  a  worshipper. 

VrilAT  THE  SEXTON  IS  DOING. 

Midway  in  some  duty  he  is  arrested  by  this  musical  act 
of  devotion,  as  by  a  prayer.  He  is  leaning  on  a  pew,  near 
the  door :  the  hymn  and  music  are  familiar  to  him  since 
his  childhood,  and — there  is  no  longer  a  sexton.  He  is 
one  of  the  congregation,  and  also  a  worshipper.  Even  the 
organ-blower  finds  that  the  steady  flow  of  the  music  re- 
quires not  that  his  entire  attention  should  be  fixed  upon 
the  rise  and  fall  of  the  lead,  and  he  is  receiving,  at  least, 
a  solemn  musical  impression. 

WHAT  WE  ARE  DOING. 

Still  observing  whether  others  worship !  Let  us  stop, 
and  participate  in  the  closing  stanza  of  the  hymn,  while 
there  is  yet  time  for  us  to  speed  one  devotional  thought  to 
heaven. 


CHAPTER    II. 


TO  THE  CLERGY. 

In  Grermany  there  is  said  to  have  existed  an  old  churchly 
ordinance,  that  the  candidate  for  orders  should  pass  his 
examination  in  Church  Music  as  well  as  thcolo^ry.  It  was 
expected  of  him  that  he  should  he  ahle,  at  least,  to  play 
and  sing  the  familiar  chorals  of  the  Church.  And,  cer- 
tainly, in  our  day,  the  least  that  can  he  expected  of  cler- 
gymen is — that  they  he  intelligently  informed  on  the  sub- 
ject of  Church  Music  :  so  much  so,  as  to  secure  its  proper 
application  in  Divine  Service.  For  it  should  he  borne  in 
mind,  that  one-half  of  the  actual  worship  of  the  Cliristian 
Church  is  embodied  in  music.  For  this  reason,  it  is  surely 
a  great  defect  in  our  present  theological  system,  that  no 
definite  provision  is  made  for  the  due  instruction  of  stu- 
dents on  this  subject — both  theoretically,  as  to  tlie  exact 
object  of  sacred  music,  and  the  best  method  of  applying  it 
to  the  purpose  intended  ;  and  practically,  as  to  actual 
vocal  cultiu-e  and  practice.  A  twofold  object  would  thus 
be  gained.  Teach  students  to  sing  well,  and  to  use  their 
voices  eilectively  in  music,  and  you  impart  to  them  a  simi- 
lar power  in  the  sister  art  of  declamation.  Music  and  ora- 
tory are  closely  allied.  The  Grreek  orators,  who  had  a 
flute-player  stationed  behind  them,  to  the  tones  of  whose 


12  •  OUR  cnuiicii  MUSIC. 

instrument  tliey  mcxlulated  their  voices,  seem  to  have  had 
some  just  surmise  of  the  close  relation  of  music  to  oratory. 

Music  is  the  most  subtle  and  powerful  collateral  influ- 
ence connected  with  church  service.  It  appeals  to  the 
heart  of  man — to  his  emotional  nature.  It  has  the  same 
silent  aim,  therefore,  as  religion.  Of  what  importance, 
then,  that  the  feelings  he  rightly  appealed  to  through  this 
fascinating  instrumentality.  The  music  of  church  service 
can  signally  aid  or  signally  thwart  the  clergyman.  In 
voluntary,  and  interlude  and  hymn,  it  can  prove  a  musical 
shower,  to  soften  and  open  the  heart  to  impression  ;  or  it 
can  chill  and  fritter  away  every  hallowed  feeling.  An 
after-sermon  hymn,  or  an  after-servfce  organ  performance, 
from  its  inappropriateness,  has  often  proved  a  veritable 
musical  east- wind — dispersing  and  obliterating  those  deli- 
cate germs  which  a  celestial  Hand,  during  moments  of 
silent  devotion,  or  the  good  seedsman  of  the  pulpit,  had  let 
fall  upon  the  sensitive  soil  of  the  heart. 

Clergymen  are  apt  to  think  that  the  music  of  the  church 
is  a  matter  which  does  not  concern  them — that  it  is  an  af- 
fair of  the  music-committee  and  the  musical  forces  in  the 
gallery.  Moreover,  from  the  sensitive  nature  of  musical 
people,  and  the  occasionally  awkward  experiences  of 
clergymen  with  choirs,  they  have  begun  to  regard  it 
as  a  noli-me-tangere  kind  of  subject,  and,  on  the 
whole,  best  let  alone.  This  is  surely  a  mistake.  Clergy- 
mien  can  properly  be  excluded,  or  excused  from  nothing 
which  involves  such  serious  interests  as  Church  Music. 

It  must  be  granted,  however,  that  a  certain  dilhculty 
presents  itself  to  the  clergy  in  deciding  precisely  how  far 
their  jurisdiction  in  this  matter  extends  ;  for  possessing, 


OUR   CHURCH   MUSIC.  13 

generally,  little  knowledge  of  musical  matters  per  se,  they 
feel  some  natural  hesitation  in  interfering  with  them. 

Now,  the  nuisioal  jnrisdietion  of  ck^rgynien  in  churches, 
it  strikes  me,  is  not  a  dillicult  matter  to  detine,  if  we  re- 
gard it  from  the  right  point  of  view  : — and  it  may  be  well, 
here,  to  give  this  subject  a  moment's  attention. 

All  Church  Music,  it  is  understood,  is  subservient  to 
what  is  assumed  to  be  the  great  object  of  church  service — 
worship.  Now,  the  true  nature  of  worship,  the  general 
principles  which  underlie  it,  and  the  best  method  of  suc- 
cessfully accomplishing  it,  ought  to  be,  and  doubtless  arc, 
better  understood  by  the  clergyman  than  the  musician  : 
inasmuch  as  the  one  makes  this  his  special  study,  and  the 
other  makes  music  his  special  study. 

The  intellectual  and  defining  part  of  the  musical  depart- 
ment in  churches  belongs,  then,  to  the  clergyman :  the 
practical  and  applying  part  to  the  artist. 

In  other  words,  to  the  clergyman,  as  the  spiritual  guide 
of  the  church  it  appertains,  to  decide,  what  musical  ar- 
rangement is  best  for  the  spiritual  interests  of  the  church ; 
and  to  the  musician  it  appertains  to  realize  this  arrange- 
ment. 

Such  being  the  case,  it  is  a  matter,  for  instance,  of  the 
clergyman's  decision  (in  connection,  if  you  will,  with  the 
music-committee)  what  style  of  music  shall  be  employed 
— whether  congregational,  or  choir,  or  both  :  how  much 
music  there  shall  be,  and  where  introduced  :  whether 
there  shall  be  a  voluntary  before  and  after  the  service,  or 
whether  there  shall  be  none  : — because  all  these  matters 
are  questions  of  intellectual  decision,  (as  connected  with 
the  general  subject  of  church  service,)  and  not  questions  of 


14  OUR  CHURCH  music 

merely  musical  decision.  For  the  same  reason,  the  ques- 
tion of  interludes  between  the  verses  of  hymns  would  be  a 
matter  of  clerical  or  churchly  decision :  whether  they 
should  be  introduced  at  all :  whether,  if  introduced,  they 
should  be  short  or  long  : — because  here,  again,  is  involved 
a  question  of  interrupting  the  sense  of  the  hymn,  when 
that  hymn  expresses,  perhaps,  a  consecutive  act  of  worship : 
this  is  a  question,  concerning  which  the  clergyman  and 
the  church,  generally,  are  as  competent  to  form  an  opinion 
as  the  artist :  even  more  so,  because  music  is  generally  so 
absorbing  as  to  exclude  such  considerations  from  the  artist's 
mind. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  artist  has  his  own  sphere — an 
art-sphere — into  which  neither  clergyman  nor  people  have 
any  right  to  intrude.  For  instance,  the  question  of  a 
voluntary  being  decided,  and  its  length,  if  you  will — 
whether  five  minutes  or  ten — no  one  has  a  right  to  dictate 
what  the  quality  or  style  of  that  voluntary  shall  be.  If 
the  musical  taste  of  the  artist  do  not  suit  the  society,  let 
them  dismiss  him,  and  get  another  :  he  is  master  in  his 
own  field,  and  is  right  in  rebelling  against  all  dictation  as 
to  the  manner  of  managing  an  organ.  AYhen  a  society 
engage  an  artist  they  run  this  musical  risk.  And  thus, 
after  the  number  of  hymns  is  decided,  (if  this  be  not  de- 
cided by  the  form  of  service,)  the  number  of  verses  to  be 
sung,  and  where  the  hymns  are  to  be  introduced,  no  one 
has  a  right  to  dictate  what  music  shall  be  sung,  or  how 
it  shall  be  sung.  Here,  again,  the  artist  is  master  in 
his  own  field.  The  only  proper  redress  for  dissatisfaction 
is  dismissal.  Again,  the  question  of  interludes  being  de- 
cided— ^how  many  and  of  what  length ;  whether  to  equal 


OUR   ClIL'RCn   MUSIC.  15 

one  line  of  the  kynin  or  two  lines — the  quality  and  style  of 
these  interludes  are  solely  at  the  discretion  of  the  artist ; 
and  he  may  stun  with  sub-Lass  :  he  may  torture  with 
fancy-stops  :  he  may  rattle  on  without  the  slightest  re- 
ference to  the  sense  of  the  preceding  or  succeeding  verse, 
and  no  one  in  the  church  has  any  olhcial  right  to  interfere. 
If  the  music-committee  have  hired  so  crude  an  organist,  it 
devolves  upon  them  and  the  society  patiently  to  bear  with 
the  same,  until  they  can  procure  a  better. 

Such,  then,  it  strikes  me,  is  the  proper  manner  of  view- 
ing this  subject,  and  of  defining  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
non-nuisical  authorities  of  the  church.  And  it  is  as  well  to 
have  this  subject  understood  ;  for  nothing,  perhaps,  has 
been  the  cause  of  so  much  dissonant  feeling  in  the  church 
as  the  churches  harmony — generally  arising  from  trespass 
on  the  one  part  or  the  other.  When  the  time  comes,  that 
the  pulpit  and  the  organ  are,  literally,  brought  nearer  each 
other,  and  the  worship  of  the  church  proceeds  entirely 
from  the  clerical  end  of  the  edifice,  (a  subject  which  is  to 
be  considered  hereafter,)  we  may  hope  that  the  antagonism 
and  too  frequent  conflict  of  these  two  churchly  forces  (like 
two  opposite  points  of  polarity) — will  cease  altogether. 

I  would  not,  by  the  preceding  remarks  intimate,  that  or- 
ganists or  leaders  of  choirs  may  never  pleasantly  be  con- 
ferred with,  as  to  the  style  of  music  in  a  church,  or  the 
manner  of  managing  an  organ.  Organists,  themselves, 
often  wish  to  gain  the  opinions  of  others  on  these  matters. 
I  would  only  guard  against  anything  like  dictation,  or 
active  interference  in  an  Art,  best  understood  by  those 
who  profess  it. 


CHAPTER    III. 


CHURCH  MUSIC  A    THREE-FOLD  SYSTEM. 

In  reviewing  the  history  of  Church  Music,  we  find  that, 
during  the  various  ages  of  the  Church,  three  distinct  styles 
have  gradually  been  developed  :  that  peculiar  to  the  clergy; 
that  peculiar  to  the  choir  ;  that  peculiar  to  the  people. 
Church  Music,  in  its  completeness,  would  combine,  in  my 
view,  these  three  features — clergy,  choir,  people. 


MUSIC  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

This  is  the  oldest  style  of  music  in  the  Christian  Church. 
Duiing  the  first  three  hundred  years  after  Christ  there 
was  no  other  :  the  singing  of  the  early  Christians  was 
wholly  congregational.  Shortly  subsequent  to  the  year 
300,  the  first  change  occurred  ;  that  of  responsive  singing.''^ 
*'  This  mode  of  singing  was  first  practised  in  the  Syrian 
Churches  ;  about  the  middle  of  the  fourth  century  it  was 
introduced   by   Flavian  and    Diodorus    into   the    Eastern 

*  For  the  historical  information  given  in  this  chapter,  I  am  indebted  to  Mr. 
Coleman's  work  on  the  Primitive  Church  :  a  volume  embodying  the  results  of 
much  study  by  the  author  on  this  and  kindred  subjects,  while  resident  in  Ger- 
mjiny  :  the  book  being  endorsed,  as  to  accuracy,  by  the  celebrated  Neander, 


OUR   CHL'HCU   MUSIC.  17 

Churches  ;*  thence  transferred,  in  the  year  370,  to  the  West- 
ern Churches  by  Ambrose,  und  soon  canio  into  "eneral  use 
under  the  name  of  the  Ambrosian  style  of  music, t  As  this 
responsive  singing  was  performed  by  tlie  people,  the  music 
still  retained  its  congregation-al  character. 

Congregational  singing  is  still  heard,  to  a  certain  ex- 
tent, in  the  modern  Church — as  we  lind  to  a  limited  de- 
gree both  in  England  and  the  United  States :  particularly 
in  Grermany,  however,  whore,  both  in  the  Romish  and 
Protestant  Church,  the  singing  of  hymns  is  left  to  the 
people. 


MUSIC  OF  THE  CHOIR. 

Choir  music  was  introduced  into  the  Church  in  the  fourth 
century.  "  At  this  time  a  distinct  class  of  persons  was 
appointed  to  take  charge  of  this  part  of  religious  worship. 
But  the  people  continued,  for  a  century  or  more,  to  enjoy 
in  some  measure  their  ancient  privilege  of  singing  to- 
gether :  joining  occasionally  in  the  chorus,  and  singing  the 
responses." 

Until  this  period  no  instruments  had  been  used  in  the 
Christian  Church  :  (in  the  ancient  Jewish  Church,  as  in 
the  idol-worship  of  the  Grreek  Church,  the  voices  were  al- 
ways accompanied  with  instruments.)  But  now,  instru- 
mental accompaniments  were  gradually  introduced  into 
the  Apostolic  Church.  "  They  can  hardly  be  assigned  to 
a  period  earlier  than  the  5th  and  6th  centuries.     Organs 

*  Theodoret,  Eccl.  Hist.  Lib.  2,  c.  19,  p.  6G2. 

t  Aaj?ii3t.    Confer.  9,  c.  7.    PauUai,  Vet.   Ambros,  p.  4.    Comp.  Augustl, 
Denkwiirdig.  5,  p.  300. 


18  OUR   CHURCH   MUSIC. 

were  unknown  in  the  Church  until  the  8th  or  9th  century 
Previous  to  this,  they  had  their  place  in  the  theatre  rather 
than  the  church.  They  were  never  regarded  with  favor 
in  the  Eastern  Church,  and  were  vehemently  opposed  in 
many  places  in  the  West.  In  Scotland  we  find  no  organ 
to  this  day,  except  in  Episcopal  churches.  In  the  English 
Convocation,  held  A.  D.  1562,  in  Queen  Elizabeth's  time,- 
for  settling  of  the  liturgy,  the  retainfng  of  organs  was 
carried  only  by  a  casting  vote." 

The  choir  and  the  organ,  then,  as  we  now  see  them,  may 
be  assigned  to  the  8th  or  9th  century. 


MUSIC  OF  THE  CLERGY 

"  The  clergy  eventually  claimed  the  right  of  performing 
sacred  music  as  a  privilege  exclusively  their  own.''  Thus, 
from  the  people,  it  would  seem.  Church  Music  passed  first 
to  certain  appointed  officers  of  the  church  ;  and  from  them 
to  the  clergy  ;  and,  the  more  effectually  to  exclude  the 
people  from  any  participation  in  this  exercise,  the  singing 
was  now  in  Latin. 

This  entire  monopoly  of  the  music  by  the  clergy  con- 
tinued until  the  era  of  the  Reformation,  when  Luther  re- 
stored, as  the  sacramental  cup  to  the  mouth,  so  music  to 
the  lips  of  the  people.  During  all  the  cultivation  of  sacred 
musical  art  which  has  since  taken  place  in  aesthetic  Ger- 
many, no  effort  has  "been  made  to  wrest  the  mass-choral 
from  the  people,  or  to  refine  upon  its  rude  grandeur.  But, 
however  exquisite  the  choir  music,  as  sometimes  heard  in 


OUR  CHL'RCII    MUSIC.  19 

larger  German  cities,  the  singing,  in  their  place,  of  do\^- 
tioiial  hymns  by  the  people,  is  never  interfered  with. 

^Vith  the  music  of  the  clergy  we  are,  in  the  United 
States,  but  little  acquainted.  In  the  Romish  Church,  here 
as  elsewhere,  the  priest  intones  part  of  the  service.  In 
the  Jewish  Church,  priest  and  people  alternate.  In  the 
Lutheran  Church,  the  clergyman  occasionally  chants  the 
Lord's  Prayer,  or  impressively  sings  the  benediction. 
Clerical  music  is  also  occasionally  heard  in  the  English 
cathedral  service,  a  part  of  which  is  intoned  by  the  clergy- 
man. 

Church  Music,  in  its  complete  embodiment,  then,  of 
clergy,  choir  and  people,  is  to  be  found  perhaps,  in  modern 
days,  chiefly  in  G-ermany  only  :  and  even  here  to  a  very 
small  extent.  In  the  modern  Church  we  have,  for  the  most 
part,  the  exclusive  institution  of  the  choir. 

It  is  quite  time  that  our  imperfect  musical  system  were 
extended  beyond  this.  With  the  clergy  as  musical 
auxiliaries  in  religious  service  we  cannot  do  much,  until 
the  tongues  of  students  in  theological  seminaries  are 
loosed  to  sing  the  praises  of  their  Maker.  This  has  been 
done  to  considerable  extent  in  New- York  :  and  the  clergy 
have  occasionally,  at  Trinity  Church,  sustained  an  indepen- 
dent musical  part  in  the  regular  service  of  the  Church. 
Indeed,  the  Episcopal  Service  is  so  arranged,  that  we  might 
easily  secure  the  three  musical  features  mentioned,  of  cler- 
gy, choir  and  people. 

But,  in  any  event,  to  every  religious  service  ought,  forth 
with,  to  be  added  the  mass-singing  of  the  people.  Con- 
gregational song  is  the  proper  basis  of  all  Church  Music  ; 
and  for  this,  provision,  in  all  cas3s,  should  first   be  made. 


20  OUR  cnuRcn  music. 

^pon  this  basis  an  artistic  style  of  music  may  well  t^e 
reared,  as  superstructure,  if  deemed  advisable.  But  while 
the  latter  is  dispensable,  the  former  I  cannot  but  regard  as 
indispensable,  if  music  be  viewed  as  a  devotional  exercise  in 
our  service.  The  grounds  upon  which  this  opinion  is 
based,  will  be  found  in  the  succeeding  chapter. 


CHAPTER    lY. 


CAN  WE   WORSHIP  BY  A   CHOIR? 

Choir  music  represents  an  ornamental,  or  impressive 
style  of  church  song — congregational  singing  a  devo- 
tional. 

This  distinction  I  do  not  regard  as  at  all  arbitrary,  but 
as  founded  in  the  nature  of  \\-hat  we  term — worship.  This 
term  it  will  be  necessary,  at  the  outset,  to  define  ; — a  task 
which  would  much  better  be  performed  by  the  venerated 
teachers  of  the  sacred  desk,  than  by  any  mere  lay-thinker. 
But  it  will  b«  absolutely  necessary,  here,  to  undertake 
some  definition,  in  order  to  gain  any  standpoint  for  future 
argument  and  remark. 

The  general  use  of  the  term  worship  is  somewhat  ex- 
tended and  vague.  A  definition  of  the  word,  as  given  by 
various  persons,  would  probably  differ  very  much  in  its 
degree  of  limitation.  To  my  own  mind,  worship  implies 
an  intelligent  act.  The  nature  of  this  act  may  best  be 
expressed  by  the  general  term — homage.  An  act  of  ho- 
mage may  be  rendered  audibly  and  visibly,  as  accom- 
panied by  the  voice  and  a  corresponding  posture  of  the 
body  ;  or,  it  may  be  rendered  silently  and  invisibly,  as  un- 


22  OUR  ciiuRcn  music. 

accompanied  by  either  voice  or  significant  outward  pos- 
ture. 

Homage  is  rendered  the  Supreme  Being  in  praise — in 
CONFESSION — in  PETITION  :  also,  as  I  conceive,  in  devout 
MEDITATION  ou  the  diviuc  works  and  attributes,  or  on  one's 
own  spiritual  relations  to  his  Maker  :  for,  herein  is  a  recog- 
nition of  Grod,  which  is  homage  :  and  the  homage  we  pay 
a  divine  Being  is  of  a  quality  necessarily  involving  wor- 
ship. AYorship,  in  its  truest  and  highest  sense,  however, 
is  when  the  soul  ascends  to  the  immediate  presence  of  its 
God,  and  there  pays  him  intelligent  homage.  It  may  be 
for  a  moment,  like  the  upward  glancing  of  a  reverent 
thought  from  the  crowded  street  of  a  city  ;  or  it  may 
be  for  an  hour,  in  solemn  interview  with  the  great 
Father. 

It  follows,  then,  that  hearing  a  choir  sing — is  not  wor- 
ship. Reading  the  hymn  through  in  a  merely  intellectual 
attention  to  the  thought — is  not  worship.  A  solemn  feel- 
ing— is  not  worship.  Such  a  feeling  is  often  the  result  of 
architectural  or  artistic  causes.  A  person,  for  instance, 
has  entered  a  cathedral.  He  is  awed  by  the  grandeur  and 
solemn  hush  of  the  place.  He  yields  to  an  irresistible  feel- 
ing of  solemnity,  and  afterward  goes  avray  and  feels,  per- 
haps, as  though  he  had  worshipped.  Not  so.  He  has 
merely  indulged  in  what  might  be  called  architectural 
awe.  Such  a  feelinsr  is  a  legitimate  effect  of  elevated  art. 
But  this  is  not  worship.  The  place  and  the  supreme 
Object  of  worship  lie  higher  than  mere  architecture,  or 
music,  or  sculpture,  or  painting,  artistically  enjoyed,  bear 
tlie  soul.     For,  in  the    enjoyment  of  art,  as  in  the  enjoy- 


•OUR  CHURCH   MUSIC.  23 

ment  of  natural  scenery,  we  are  recipients  ;  the  mind, 
therefore,  is  in  a  passive  state.  Whereas,  in  worship,  the 
mind  is  in  an  active  state.  We  must  rise  through  nature 
to  nature's  Grod  :  and,  in  sacred  art,  unless  the  soul  be  im- 
pelled forward  one  step  further,  to  definite  religious  action, 
it  is  not  in  a  condition  of  worship.  For  no  passive  state, 
no  condition  of  mere  feeling  can  involve  this.  Worship 
involves  an  act.  Feeling  may,  and  should,  accompany 
this  act,  but  cannot  constitute  it.  And  in  sacred  song  we 
must  not  only,  as  a  mere  act  of  intellection,  attain  to  the 
thought  of  the  words,  buft  we  must  utter  that  thought  iip- 
ward  to  God — before  we  can  be  said  rightly  to  wor- 
ship. 

In  this  manner  only,  as  I  conceive,  can  the  singing  of  a 
church  choir  ever  become  devotional  to  the  exterior  auditor. 
He  may  listen,  enchanted,  to  the  reiterated  Te  Deums  of  a 
lofty  service  through  all  the  churchly  year — and  yet  not 
once  have  worshipped.  Whereas,  he  may  catch  a  single 
hiudamus  or  devout  aspiration  from  the  lips  of  the  choir, 
and  speeding  it  individually  up  from  his  own  heart,  may 
have  known  an  instant  of  true  worship.  Or,  again,  the 
pious  eloquence  of  a  devout  organist  may  have  so  wrought 
upon  the  listener,  through  the  mazes  of  solemn  harmonies 
evolved  on  the  majestic  organ,  (beneath  which  were  ap- 
preciable not  only  the  skill  of  artistic  fingers,  but  the  throb- 
bings  of  an  earnest,  religious  heart,)  that  he  has  been 
irresistibly  impelled  onward  spiritually  to  exclaim — Father^ 
I  adore  Thee!  and  music  has  preached  effectively  to  his 
soul — he  has  worshipped. 

Now,  the  question  is,  whether  these  conditions  of  wor- 


24  OUR  CHURCH  music.. 

ship  are  complied  with  in  our  ordinary  choir  performance 
of  Church  Music.     In  other  words — 


CAN  WE  WORSHIP  BY  A   CHOIR? 

It  is  evident,  that  inasmuch  as  silent  worship  is  possi- 
ble, and  that  we  can,  if  we  will,  accept  a  devotional  thought 
as  uttered  by  the  lips  of  a  choir,  or  gathered  from  the 
hymn-book  before  us,  and  silently  speed  that  thought  up- 
ward to  God — worship  by  choir  is  a  possible  thing.  At 
the  same  time,  it  is  insisted,  thai;  the  accompanying  cir- 
cumstances of  choir  singing  are  such  that  it  is  highly 
probable  that  we  shall  not,  and  do  not,  worship. 

The  hindrances  to  worship  involved  in  choir  singing,  I 
will  proceed  briefly  to  detail. 

1st.  The  involuntary  action  of  the  mind  when  a  separate 
few  are  singing,  detached,  as  to  place,  from  ourselves,  is 
passively  to  listen — not  to  participate.  The  mind  imme- 
diately assumes  a  passive  and  receptive  attitude  :  not  the 
active  attitude  essential  to  worship.  Under  other  circum- 
stances than  those  of  devotion  it  has  become  natural  to 
us,  and  our  habit,  to  listen,  simply,  when  we  hear  music. 

2d.  The  implied  object  of  finished  choir  singing  is  mu- 
sical gratification.  But  it  is  a  difficult  thing  to  be  musical- 
ly gratified  and  entertained,  and  t-o  be  worshipping  Grod  at 
the  same  moment.  Music  is  an  exceedingly  absorbing 
thing :  and,  particularly  in  its  more  embellished  and  elabo- 
rated form,  naturally  withdraws  attention  from  all  else, 
even  from  the  words  associated  with  it,  and  concentrates 
the  mind  upon  itself. 

3d.  Our  attitude  during  choir  performance  is  very  un- 


OUK  ciiuuon  MLbic.  26 

favorable  to  devotion.  \Vo  are  gonemlly  in  a  position 
which  seems  to  imply  no  tliunj^^ht  whatever  of  worship. 
Most  congregations  remiim  smited  :  and,  in  all  cases,  the 
open  eye,  the  open  ])ook,  ilie  undevout  bearing,  have  no 
affinity  \\'ith  an  act  of  worship. 

But,  even  supposing  this  to  be  otherwise — that  we  be 
really  bent  upon  devotion,  when  the  choir  commences  sing- 
ing, and  are  prepared  spiritually  to  engage  in  this  act  : 
we  directly  meet  with  a  certain  intellectual  difliculty  in 
this  :  which  difficulty  consists, — 

4th.  In  tlie  slow  pace  of  musical  utterance  on  the  part 
of  the  choir  :  an  utterance  so  lengthened,  that  it  is  difficult 
for  tlie  mind  to  dwell  so  long  gn  the  words  of  the  hymn. 
If  we  ourselves  be  uttering  the  words  with  the  choir,  the 
mind  is  nailed  to  the  thought,  word  by  word  :  but  the  mind, 
when  unfettered  by  utterance,  acts  with  infinitely  greater 
rapidity  than  the  tongue.  Therefore,  when  the  words  are 
all  before  us,  we  have  glanced  through  the  verse  and  mas- 
tered the  entire  thought  before  the  choir  have  uttered  more 
than  half  the  first  line.  And  where  is  the  mind,  then  ? 
What  are  we  thinking  about  while  the  choir  are  singing 
the  rest  of  the  stanza  ? 

Thus  we  see,  that  a  ctmcentrated  attention  upon  the 
hymn,  and  that  intelligent  thought-sequence  which  a  spir- 
itual participation  in  an  act  of  devotion  certainly  implies, 
are  difficult  when  combined  with  the  slow  musical  utter- 
ance of  a  choir. 

But  here  the  question  may  naturally  suggest  itself,  AMw 
do  not  each  and  all  the  objections  here  advanced  equally 
apply  to  the  prayer  of  the  clergyman — why  may  not  the 


26  OUR  cnciiCH  music. 

choir  lead  in  one  act  of  devotion  as  the  clergyman  does  in 
another  ? 

This  eeems  plausible  at  first  glance — ^but  Ave  shall 
find  the  accompanying  circumstances  of  the  two  acts  great- 
ly to  differ.  Our  attitude,  external  and  spiritual,  instantly 
changes  when  a  prayer  from  the  pulpit  or  altar  commences. 
Why  it  should  be  so  ;  in  what  respect  a  prayer  difiers  from 
a  prayer  ;  why  an  appeal  to  heaven  by  hymn  should  not 
involve  the  same  internal  and  external  attitude  as  a  prayer 
by  plain  prose — are  questions  of  subtle  theological  difference 
which  I  will  not  attempt  to  answer. 

But,  again, — in  the  clergyman's  prayer  we  have  the 
quick -paced  utterance  of  speech  in  place  of  a  slow-paced 
musical  utterance  :  and  in  extemporaneous  prayer,  which 
is  the  prevailing  style  in  this  country,  we  cannot  antici- 
pate the  thought  of  the  clergyman  :  therefore  the  mind 
follows  easily  the  articulation  of  the  clergyman  ;  nor  does 
it  readily  wander  from  an  uncompleted  thought.  If  the 
prayer  be  a  prescribed  form,  and  we  have  the  words  before 
us,  then  the  mind  may  glance  in  the  same  manner — it  is. 
true  :  but  here,  again,  it  is  very  much  hindered  from  so 
doing  by  the  quicker  articulation  of  speech,  not  peculiar 
to  music,  and  by  the  constant  recurrence  of  responses  : 
which  not  only  admirably  individualize  prayer,  but  confine 
the  mind  to  its  devotions,  or  recall  it  thereto  if  it  have 
wandered. 

For  myself,  I  cannot  resist  a  conviction  which  has 
gradually  been  forced  upon  me  by  long  reflection  on  this 
subject,  that  the  more  we  can  put  words  into  the  mouth  of 
the  worshipper,  and  the  more  we  can  effect  individual  ut- 
terance, the  nearer  we  approach  to  a  successful  accomplish- 


OUR  cnuKcn  music.  27 

ment  of  public  worship.  For  public  worship,  it  must  bo 
remeniberod,  is  only  the  combined  worship  of  individuals  : 
and  it  is  successful  only  to  such  ext^^nt  as  tlie  individual 
is  concerned  in  it.  Public  worship  is,  in  fact,  only  private 
worship,  transferred  to  a  public  place,  ami  made  a  matter 
of  unanimous  participation.  The  conditions  of  private 
worship  ought,  it  would  seem,  then,  so  far  as  is  practicable, 
still  to  be  retained.  A  chief  condition  is  audible  speech  : 
for  we  are  not  accustomed  to  engage  in  our  private  devotions 
silently  and  inaudibly.  Therefore,  the  more  we  can  secure 
audible  utterance  in  public  worship,  the  nearer  we  ap- 
proach to  the  individuality  of  private  devotion,  and  to  the 
closeness  and  intimacy  of  a  soul  in  direct  communication 
with  its  Maker. 

WORSHIP  BY  CONG  REG  ATIONAL  SOSG. 

The  hindrances  to  worship  experienced  in  music  by  choir, 
now  enumerated,  are  not  encountered  in  congregational 
song.  Here  we  have  individual  and  audible  utterance  : 
the  mind  is  thereby  nailed  to  the  succession  of  words  and 
to  the  thought.  Others  are  not  performing  an  act  of  wor- 
ship for  us  while  we  are  listening  to  that  performance. 
"We  listen  to  no  one  ;  for  we  are  participators.  AVe  criti- 
cise no  one  ;  for  our  mind  is  not  in  that  attitude.  Neither 
the  difliculty  nor  the  charm  of  music  unduly  withdraw 
our  attention  from  the  words  we  are  uttering  :  for  congre- 
gational song  is,  or  should  be,  both  simple  and  familiar : 
there  is  enough  quiet  charm  in  the  music  for  interior  ef- 
fect, but  the  tones  remain  subordinate  to  the  words,  which, 
in  a  devotional  act,  must  have  the  pre-eminence  in  our 


28  OCR    CUUKCH   MUSIC. 

minds.  The  music  being  thus  simple  and  familiar,  we> 
are  enabled  freely  to  utter  our  petition,  or  our  praise,  in  the 
doubly  beautiful  language  of  music  and  poetry.  The 
poetry  expresses  the  thought ;  the  music  expresses  the 
feeling  ;  and  the  two  ascend,  like  twin-doves  of  the  soul, 
to  heaven. 

It  is  by  no  means  assumed,  that  because  persons  join  in 
congregational  song  they  will  therefore  necessarily  wor- 
ship. We  cannot  absolutely  control  thought.  Indeed,  if 
others'  experiences  accord  with  the  writer's,  they  will  have 
known  some  regretted  occasion  of  their  lives,  when,  after 
having  even  audibly  repeated  the  Lord's  Prayer,  they  have 
been  conscious,  at  the  close,  that  they  were  thinking 
of  something  else.  But  the  position  confidently  assumed 
is, — that  in  congregational  song  there  is  no  excuse  for  not 
worshipping  :  that  is,  there  is  no  hindrance,  either  of  a 
mental  or  artistic  kind  which  can  interrupt  devotion : 
and  it  is  the  soul's  fault,  and  not  music's,  or  that  of  aught 
else,  if  the  individual  do  not  worship. 

For  such  reasons,  then,  I  consider  it  the  legitimate  office 
of  the  artistic  choir  to  embellish  and  enrich  public 
service  :  to  impress  :  to  prepare  for  worship  : — the  legiti- 
mate office  of  congregational  song,  to  subserve  the  pur- 
poses of  actual  devotion. 

Artistic  effects,  like  architecture,  and  painting,  and 
sculpture,  have  more  or  less  been  used  for  religious  pur- 
poses from  the  time  of  Solomon's  Temple  down  to  the 
present  day.  The  splendor  and  efficacy  of  these  ar- 
tistic appliances  in  that  ancient  temple,  (which  was  in- 
spired of  Grod,)  have  never  yet  been  cancelled  or  invalida- 
ted.    And  surely  our  Maker  is  worthy  of  the  best  offering 


OUR  CHURCH   MUSIC.  29 

of   poor  human  Art,  consecrated  by  a  reverent  and  devout 
spirit. 

Devotional  words  may  often  effectively  bo  put  into  the 
mouths  of  the  choh* : — t'ongregational  song  may  often  be  used 
as  merely  iiniinativc  to  worship.  But  tlic  peculiar  olTice  now 
a.ssigned  to  each  seems  to  me  unquestionably  that  which 
each  is  best  calculated  to  fulfill.  And  in  the  selection 
of  hymns,  (the  varied  character  of  which  will  hereafter  be 
considered,)  the  clergyman  would  do  well,  as  they  are  in- 
tended for  the  one  or  the  other  style  of  singmg,  to  bear 
tills  distinction  in  mind. 


CHAPTER  y. 


A  SUNDAY  IN  A  GERMAN  CHURCH. 


I  ONCE  found  myself  in  one  of  the  cities  of  central  Ger- 
many. The  leading  Protestant  Church  of  the  place  had 
been  closed  for  some  months,  while  undero^oing  repairs, 
and  meanwhile  the  Roman  Catholics,  with  a  liberality  of 
feeling  sometimes  met  with  in  that  country,  had  thrown 
open  their  magnificent  edifice  to  the  worship  of  the  Pro- 
testants— the  Protestant  service  immediately  succeeding 
the  ordinary  morning  service  of  the  Catholics.  The  only 
change  made  was  the  concealment  of  the  altar,  by  a  cur- 
tain dropped  from  the  ceiling.  In  front  of  this  curtain 
was  a  temporary  desk  for  the  clergyman. 

On  a  Sunday  morning  I  entered  this  cathedral,  upon  the 
front  of  which  was  inscribed  in  imposing  capitals  the 
solemn  word — Deo.  The  immense  edifice  was  crowded 
with  worshippers.  The  Duke  and  his  court  (a  Protestant 
house)  were  present,  occupying  a  separate  tribune  on  the 
side  of  the  pulpit.  The  body  of  the  edifice  was  filled,  pro- 
miscuously, with  garrison  troops,  citizens,  and  peasantry 
from  the  surrounding  coimtry  in  their  picturesque  national 
costumes.  The  introductory  voluntary  was  just  com- 
mencing.    The  powerful  organ,  which  seemed  to  have  its 


(Jl'U   CIIUIXII   ML'SIC.  31 

place  near  the  altar,  and  was  concealed  Ly  a  curtain,  was 
crowding  every  arch  and  corner  of  the  iniinense  pile  with 
irs  nia:>5;ive  harmonies.  The  air  around  us  wns  a  sea  of 
music ;  its  rich  surgings  broke  majestically  on  the 
vaulted  roof,  and  echoed  among  the  lofty  arches,  and  beat, 
solemnly,  upon  the  silent  heart. 

Meantime,  the  assembled  multitude  had  found  the  first 
hymn,  which,  as  usual  in  Grerman  Churches,  was  indica- 
ted upon  tablets,  placed  at  convenient  intervals  u})on  the 
walls.  And  now  the  rich  tone-masses  of  the  organ  gradu- 
ally merged  into  the  familiar  strain  of  an  old  church  choral. 
At  this  well-known  signal  the  great  assembly,  from  the 
sovereign  to  the  peasant,  arose.  The  introductory  strain 
of  the  organ  ceased,  and  a  trumpet,  behind  the  veil,  led  off 
in  clear,  courageous  tones  the  choral  melody,  sustained  by 
full  organ  accompaniment.  Simultaneously  with  this,  a 
chorus  of  a  thousand  voices  rolled  up  from  the  congregation 
in  a  mighty  song  of  praise  to  Jehovah — a  song  which  the 
lofty  roof  seemed  scarce  capable  of  repressing  :  majestic, 
soul-thrilling. 

As  the  last  echoes  of  this  choral  Hallelujah  died  upon 
the  ear,  a  clergyman,  who  until  now  had  not  been  seen, 
advanced  and  pronounced,  in  a  deep-toned  and  solemn 
voice,  the  opening  prayer.  He  retired,  and  again  un- 
heralded, except  by  the  invisible  organ,  the  thousand-voiced 
chorus  swelled  to  the  skies.  The  sermon  immediately 
succeeded  ;  brief  and  impressive  :  then  a  closing  choral 
was  sung,  and  after  the  benediction,  the  cathedral  doors 
were  once  more  thrown  open  to  the  congregation  :  while  the 
parting  tones  of  the  organ  followed  us  as  we  passed  into 
the  outer  world,  like  sacred  memories  of  the  hour. 


82  OUR    CIIURCIT   MUSIC. 

Now,  here  was  a  combination  of  singularly  felicitous 
circumstances,  and  which  afford  us,  I  tliink,  some  valuable 
hints  as  to  Church  Music  : 

1st.  The  machinery  of  the  music  was  concealed.  Here 
was  no  twitching  of  curtains  by  the  choir  ;  no  preparatory 
whisper,  and  flutter,  and  turning  of  leaves  ;  no  clearing  of 
throats,  no  obtrusion  of  personalities,  in  any  way,  upon  the 
audiencs. 

2d.  The  act  of  worship  was  simultaneous,  and,  seeming- 
ly, spontaneous.  The  clergyman  did  not  announce,  and 
then  recite,  preparatorily,  the  invocation  to  Jehovah,  about 
to  be  made. — \\Tiy  should  an  invocation  to  the  Supreme 
Being  be  recited  beforehand  ? 

3d.  All  united,  from  a  common  level  of  devotion — prince, 
priest  and  people.  There  was  no  unnecessary  personal 
intervention  :  each  soul  bore  its  humble,  individual  part  in 
the  common  worship  :  and,  moreover,  with  the  greatest 
reverence  and  earnestness — a  feature  so  unusual  in  our 
churches  at  home,  and  yet  so  common  abroad !  A  very 
observable  thing,  also,  was  the  utter  unconsciousness  of 
each  worshipper — both  of  the  observation  of  others  and  of 
any  possible  effect  produced  by  his  music. 

I  do  not  claim  for  this  example  of  congregational  sing- 
ing, that  it  could  be  copied  in  every  particular,  or  that  it 
were  desirable  so  to  do  :  many  of  tlic  circumstances  men- 
tioned were  incidental  :  but  the  unanimous  participation 
in  the  service,  and  the  withdrawal  of  all  unnecessary  per- 
sonality, were  parts  of  a  well-considered  system. 

It  is  evident  that  in  our  present  Church  Music  we 
greatly  lack  purity  of  style.  AVo  should  clearly  distin- 
guish between  the  different  forms  of  church  song,  and  the 


orn  cnrKcri  mi'sic.  33 

purpose  each  is  best  calculated  to  subserve.  An  ornamen- 
tal and  improssivo  style  of  music,  as  lop^itimatcly  repre- 
sented by  choir  performance,  we  should  never  confound 
with  a  devotional  style,  as  represented  by  congregational 
singing.  Let  us  act  intelligently,  when  we  act  at  all. 
Let  us  not  thwart  our  church  devotions,  by  making  them 
the  responsibility  of  a  few,  whose  only  realized  responsi- 
bility is  the  music.  Let  us  not,  on  the  other  hand,  im- 
pede the  development  of  high  musical  Art,  by  attempting 
to  make  it  ornamental  and  impressive,  and,  at  the  same 
time,  congregationally  simple  and  devotional. 

We  need  to  simplify  the  congregational  style,  and  am- 
plify the  choir  style.  Our  present  choir  music  is  too  diffi- 
cult, and  on  too  extended  a  vocal  scale  for  the  mass  ol 
worshippers,  on  the  one  hand,  and  too  cramped  and  ham- 
pered for  the  glories  of  sacred  Art  on  the  other.  A  short 
tune  of  four  lines,  which,  in  itself,  is  but  half  of  a  legiti- 
mate melody,  (a  completed  melody  consisting  of  eight,)  is 
but  very  insignificant  material  to  work  with,  in  an  Art 
whose  resources  are  boundless  as  those  of  music. 


CHAPTER   YI. 


childrelVs  music  /.v  churches. 

The  first  thing  to  be  cared  for  in  the  musical  arrange- 
ment of  churches  is — worship.  Worship,  I  have  already- 
endeavored  to  show,  is  represented — musically — by  con- 
gregational song  :  this,  therefore,  should  be  the  basis  of  all 
Church  Music,  and  for  this,  unquestionably,  provision 
should  first  be  made. 

Our  best  reliance  for  the  support  of  congregational  song 
is,  I  am  satisfied,  that  which,  perhaps,  might  not  at  first  sug- 
gest itself — children.  Children  are  the  future  church. 
But,  aside  from  this,  the  earnestness  of  their  young,  fresh 
natures  ;  the  facility  with  which  they  learn  ;  the  pathetic 
innocence  of  their  voices  ;  and  the  strong  appeal  of  their 
example,  as  well  as  their  music,  to  the  hearts  of  parents 
and  older  persons  present,  render  them  of  signal  service  in 
congregational  song. 

Children  have  been  too  long  overlooked  in  the  musical 
provisions  of  churches.  The  "suffer  little  children  to  coma 
unto  Me"  has  been  too  much  forgotten — certainly  in  the 
approach  to  heaven  by  music. 

The  most  favorable  circumstance  for  the  application  of 
children's  voices,  is  when  a  parish  school  is  connected  with 


OUR   CIILTRCII    MUSIC.  36 

the  church.  The  cliildron  can  then  be  tan<^ht  music  as  a 
welcome  recreation  to  graver  studies.  Half  an  hour  every 
day  would  soon  prepare  them,  in  connection  with  an  organ, 
to  lead,  and  sustain,  simple  congregational  music  in  any 
church.  This  instruction  wt)nld  best  be  imparted  by  the 
parish  school  teacher,  because  he  is  always  on  the  spot. 
But,  if  incapable  of  doing  this,  it  could  be  undertaken  by 
the  church  organist,  or  chorister  ;  with  whom  there  might  be 
a  special  understanding  that  he  should  give  two  lessons  a 
week  of  an  hour  each  :  and,  with  the  aid  of  this  instruc- 
tion, any  teacher  could  conduct  a  short  daily  singing  exer- 
cise, at  the  beginning  or  close  of  the  school. 

These  children  could  be  taught  to  sing  either  by  rote — 
and  thus  learn  the  hymn  tunes  and  chants  to  be  used  in  a 
congregation,  (which  is  a  very  easy  matter,)  or,  there  could 
be  combined  with  tliis,  elementary  instruction,  by  which 
they  might  soon  learn  to  sing  in  parts,  and  read  music  at 
sight :  and  it  is  surprising  how  soon  children  can  be  brought 
to  this  point  of  musical  proficiency. 

If  there  be  no  parish  school,  the  Sabbath-school  could 
next  be  looked  to  as  a  nursery  of  Church  Music.  This 
school  might  on  some  week  day,  (Saturday  afternoon,  for 
instance,)  be  gathered  as  a  singing- school.  The  organist 
or  conductor  of  the  music,  by  special  understanding  as 
part  of  his  duties,  might  have  this  in  charge,  and  teach 
the  children,  either  by  rote  or  by  note,  both  the  music  of 
the  church  and  such  secular  music  as  would  enliven  the 
exercise.  On  Sunday,  a  few  moments  of  the  morning  and 
afternoon  school  might  be  passed  in  singing  tlirough  the 
mu.sic  of  the  approaching  service. 

It   parents,   who   often   incur  such  heavy   expense   in 


B6  OUR  CHURCH   MUSIC. 

1he  musical  education  of  their  cliildren,  would  but  reflect, 
that  tlie  rudiments  of  music  and  the  training  of  the  voice 
are  all  the  same,  whether  acquired  for  church  or  secular 
purposes,  and  that  this  is  preliminary  ground  which  even 
the  most  expensive  teacher  must  go  over,  they  would  ap- 
preciate the  great  saving  of  time  and  expenditure  in  thus 
preparing  their  children  for  future  private  instruction — 
even  if  a  small  tax  were  levied  upon  the  church,  generally, 
to  remunerate  the  organist  for  his  additional  trouble. 

"With  such  a  choir  of  Sabbath-school  children,  it  would 
be  well  to  combine  several  teachers  ;  who  could  both  give 
them  confidence  by  singing  with  them,  and  exercise  a  cer- 
tain oversight  during  service. 

Next  to  children,  a  congrsgational  choir  is  the  best  re- 
liance for  congregational  song.  There  are  always  amateur 
singers  enough  in  every  church  to  sustain,  when  combined, 
plain  congregational  music.  An  invitation  from  the  cler- 
gyman will  generally  bring  young  people  enough  together 
to  form  a  choir.  Such  a  choir  might  sing  in  parts,  or  in 
unison.  If  parts  are  sung,  it  is  understood  that  they  but 
strengthen  the  harmony  of  the  organ,  while  the  congrega- 
tion sing  in  unison.  There  are  often  voices  in  a  congrega- 
tion, particularly  of  men,  whose  range  is  such  that  they 
cannot  well  sing  the  air  of  our  present  Church  Music,  but 
are  able  to  sing  a  bass.  There  is  no  reason  for  their  not 
doing  so :  for,  the  great  object  being  to  sing,  it  is  of  less 
importance  what  is  sung,  provided  the  part  be  correctly 
carried.  The  same  thing  may  be  said  of  families,  whose 
musical  training  is  such  that  they  can  sing  in  parts.  If  a 
congregation  be  provided  with  a  book  containing  the  music, 
which  is  exceedingly  desirable,  and  this  music  can  be  prac- 


OUK   CIIUKCFT   MUSIC.  37 

tised  at  home,  nothing  could  be  more  delightful  than  such 
family  part-singing  in  churcli. 

Our  two  reliances,  then,  for  the  introduction  of  congre- 
gational song  are  children  and  a  choir  composed  of  the 
youth  of  the  church.  Without  one  of  these,  it  is  to  he 
doubted  whether  congregational  song  could  be  introduced, 
or  with  interest  sustained.  After  a  time,  when  a  genera- 
tion of  singing  children  shall  have  grown  up,  an  organ  and 
an  organist  may  be  all  that  is  necessary  in  a  church — as 
is  now  the  case  in  most  of  the  churches  of  Germany  :  and 
this,  combined  with  a  pulpit  and  a  preacher,  would  be  the 
simplest  feasible  church  arrangement.  A  pulpit  and 
a  pastor  :  an  organ  and  an  organist.  A  precentor  in  the 
place  of  an  organ — (as  in  the  Scotch  service) — in  other 
words,  an  obtrusive  personality  in  place  of  an  unobtrusive 
instrument,  is  exceedingly  undesirable,  both  in  respect  to 
mnsic  and  devotion. 

The  drilling  of  an  entire  congregation  in  the  music  of 
the  church,  is,  in  my  own  opinion,  impracticable  and  un- 
necessary. The  inconvenience  of  assembling  especially 
for  this  purpose,  is  an  insurmountable  obstacle  :  such  prac- 
tice may  be  successful  once  or  twice,  but  so  soon  as  the 
novelty  wears  otT,  the  interest  subsides,  and  the  attendance 
dwindles.  Let  the  choir  of  children,  or  the  congregational 
choir,  be  taught  the  music  :  let  there  be  a  book  with  the 
limited  amount  of  music  for  congregational  purposes  ne- 
cessary, i)repared  for  the  pews.  And  after  this,  repetition 
is  the  best  teacher  :  if  the  music  be  resolutely  adhered  to 
and  persisted  in,  the  congregation  will  inevitably  learn 
tunes  and  chants  in  the  pleasant^st  possible  way — by  ac- 
tually using  them. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


THE  POSITION  OF  CHOIRS  AND  ORGANS. 

This  subject  has  already  been  ably  presented  by  an  Eng- 
lish writer,  William  Sparks,  in  a  pamphlet  published  by 
Novello,  of  London,  containing  both  the  author's  views 
and  quotations  from  other  authorities  ;  the  whole  having 
originally  constituted  an  address  delivered  before  the  York- 
shire Architectural  Society,  May  26,  1852.  This  pamph- 
let will  serve  as  an  excellent  basis,  to  which  may  be  added 
such  other  material  as  may  present  itself.  The  following 
quotations  will  afford  some  preliminary  information  : — 

"  History  and  precedent  are  not  at  all  agreed  as  to  the  original 
position  of  organs  in  churches.  For  this  king  of  instruments  seems 
before  the  Reformation,  as  now,  to  have  stood  in  all  sorts  of  places  : 
— on  choir-screens  ;  rood-screens  ;  over  west  doors  ;  over  and  in 
transept  arches  ;  on  the  floor  of  the  chancel :  over  the  altar,  (as  in 
the  Royal  Chapel  of  the  Versailles  and  the  Tuilleries)  ;  under  the 
tower  ;  round  corners  ;  in  hearing,  but  out  of  sight — and  vice  versa  : 
in  short,  it  would  be  impossible  to  say,  I  think,  not  where  organs 
have  stood,  but  where  they  have  not  stood  in  churches." — {Rev.  J. 

Jebh.) 

******** 

*•  No  person  who  is  at  all  acquainted  either  with  music  or  the 
principles  of  acoustics,  can  imagine  that  au  organ  placed  under  a 
low  arch,  with  three  sides  of  it  close  to  dead  walls — in  fact  a  stone 


UL'R   CUURCII    MUSIC.  39 

box — will  produce  the  same  effect  as   an  organ  placed  in  an   opca 
situation  iu  a  church  where  the  vibration  is  considerable." 

•  •*•**** 

"  The  injury  to  an  organ  occasioned  by  the  products  of  combus- 
tion from  the  gas,  now  so  generally  used  in  churches,  and  which, 
I  need  not  stay  to  prove,  are  much  more  detrimental  in  the  upper 
part  of  a  building,  is  a  strong  ground  for  remo\'ing  the  instrument 
from  galleries  and  other  lofty  situations." 

•  •«:><**•• 

"  A  choir  should  never  be  in  a  gallery." 

•  •♦*•*** 

"  The  gallery,  the  modern  place  of  performance,  is  altogether  an 
innovation  of  later  times,  and  Popish  in  its  origin.  That  corrupt 
idolatry  of  music  which  prevailed  in  Italy,  induced  the  admittance 
of  persouG  into  the  choir  who  were  obviously  unlit  to  sit  among  the 
clergy,  and  therefore  were  placed,  like  mere  instruments,  in  a  loft. 
There  is  an  appearance  of  theatrical  exhibition  in  this  obtrusive 
elevation  of  the  bingers,  frequently  attracting  the  gaze  of  the  con- 
gregation (perhaps  I  should  rather  say  of  the  audience)  below  :  who 
turn  their  backs  upon  minister,  altar  and  everything  sacred,  ab- 
sorbed by  that  which  a  savage  would  actually  suppose  to  be  the 
idol  of  our  worship.  *  *  *  The  ministers  of  divine  worship, 
such  as  the  lay  clerks  and  boys,  or  regularly  appointed  singers, 
have  a  sacred  office  to  perform,  and  in  this  capacity  should  occupy 
a  place  near  the  clergy.  *  *  *  It  is  obvious  that  such  an  ar- 
rangement requires  no  additional  room,  but  merely  an  exchange  of 
places.  *  *  *  The  modern  practice  quite  cuts  off  the  clergyman 
from  the  singers,  and  gives  the  latter  an  iadeceui  elevation." — {Rev. 
J.  Jehb.) 

*******  * 

"Those  who  have  had  much  to  do  wiih  choirs  need  not  be  re- 
minded, ihat  there  is  a  great  difference  between  the  conduct  of  sing- 
ers in  a  choir  (especially  ihe  youthful  portion  of  them)  when  placed 
iu  the  nave  or  chancel,  under  the  immediate  eye  of  the  minister  and 
congregation,  aud  their  conduct  in  a  gallery,  where  they  but  too 
often  entertain  the  idea  that  they  are  not  there  as  a  part  of  the  con- 


40  OUR  CHURCH   MUSIC. 

gregatiou — and  members  of  the  church — but  as  vocalists  employed 
to  sing  to,  and  for,  the  people." 

******  » 

The  judgment  of  every  thoughtful  person  must  confirm 
the  prominent  idea  in  these  quotations,  that  sacred  music, 
like  the  rest  of  a  sacred  service,  should  proceed  from  the 
clerical  end  of  the  church  :  and  that  both  the  organ  and 
the  choir  should  be  among  a  worshipping  people,  and  not 
isolated ,  and  away  from  them — this  very  isolation  seeming 
to  indicate,  that  an  isolated  duty  is  to  be  performed,  by 
persons  set  apart  for  this  service.  Experience  proves,  that 
it  is  exceedingly  difficult  to  unite  the  voices  of  a  congrega- 
tion with  a  choir  and  an  organ,  when  the  latter  are  perched 
in  a  gallery :  whereas,  experience  equally  proves,  that 
music  proceeding  frorn  among  the  people,  even  when  led 
by  a  single  voice,  (as  frequently  at  communion  services,) 
proves  so  contagious,  that  we  have  often  admirable  congre- 
gational singing  at  once :  such  as  it  may  have  been,  perhaps, 
in  the  early  Primitive  Church,  or  among  the  disciples  ; 
when  Peter  did  not  sing  a  solo  ;  or  Peter  and  John  a  duet  ; 
but  where,  together,  the  disciples  sang  an  hymn. 

It  being  decidad,  as  I  think  it  must  be,  that  the  clerical 
end  of  the  church  is  the  proper  location  for  choirs 
and  organs,  we  can  now  advance  to  some  nearer  specifica- 
tions as  to  the  arrangement  of  both.  Mr.  Sparks  remarks, 
"  I  need  scarcely  say,  that  the  arrangement  of  the  choir 
and  organ  must  be  greatly  regulated  by  the  size  and  shape 
of  the  church  :  so  that  no  rule  can  be  laid  down  for  the 
exact  position  of  either.  Although  it  is  not  expected  that 
choral  service  will  be  attained  in  every  church,  yet  it  is 
always  desirable  to  arrange  the  singers  so  as  to  form  two 


OUR  CUURCH   MUSIC.  *  41 

choirs  :  and  T  may  venture  to  lay  it  down  as  an  axiom, 
that  service,  however  musical,  is  not  clioral  service  if  there 
are  not  two  choirs." 

The  idea  of  two  clioirs  will  no  doubt  be  a  novel  one  to 
most  Americans,  even  to  the  Episcopal  portion  of  whom  a 
full  cathedral  service  may  not  be  familiar.  The  pampldet 
of  Mr.  Sparks,  from  which  I  have  quoted,  aims  mainly  at 
this  more  extended  cathedral  service.  But  as  the  present 
work  is  written  for  the  Church  universal,  and  the  desire 
is,  to  be  useful  to  all  denominations  of  worshipping  Chris- 
tians, it  will  be  well  to  commence  with  the  simplest  form 
of  structure  and  of  worship,  and  proceed  to  the  more  elabo- 
rate. 

The  simplest  form  of  worship,  combined  with  the  least 
elaborate  church-structure,  is  to  be  found  among  Congre- 
gationalists.  Baptists,  Methodists,  Presbyterians,  and  the 
various  non-Episcopal  denominations  who,  taken  together, 
form  by  far  the  greater  proportion  of  American  Chris- 
tians. 

It  may  be  remarked,  here,  that  the  Methodists,  more 
than  any  other  denomination,  have  practically  favored  con- 
gregational song  ;  although,  thus  far,  it  has  existed  only 
in  its  rude  and  uncultivated  state.  Yet,  no  one  can  deny, 
that  the  true  spirit  of  congregational  singing  has  swayed 
the  heart  of  this  devout  people,  far  removed  as  their  music 
may  have  been  from  the  standard  to  which,  with  such 
materials,  and  such  a  heart  of  melody,  they  might  have 
attained.  Of  late  years,  however,  certain  prejudices,  par- 
ticularly as  regards  organs,'  have  gradually  been  yielding, 
and  now  this  dignified  instrument  is  finding  its  place  in 
their  churches. 


42  OUR  cnuRcn  music. 

The  plain,  square  church,  then,  is  oftenest  found  among 
our  American  denominations,  and  for  this  prevailing  shape 
the  position  of  the  organ  and  the  choir  ought  first  to  be 
determined. 

It  must  introductorily  he  observed,  that  a  prominent  idea 
in  the  minds  of  most  building-committees  (rightly  or  not  be- 
ing hardly  my  purpose  to  inquire)  is  to  economise  space,  in  or- 
der to  accumulate  rentage.  This,  therefore,  has  necessarily 
to  be  borne  in  mind,  in  making  any  suggestion  for  the  loca- 
ting of  an  organ  or  a  choir.  Another  consideration,  how- 
ever, ought  equally  to  be  borne  in  mind,  that  "  removing 
an  organ  or  a  choir  from  the  gallery  requires  no  additional 
room,  but  merely  an  exchange  of  place" — as  was  stated 
in  a  foregoing  paragraph.  Moreover,  it  is  possible  so  to 
place  an  organ,  as  actually  to  save  both  space  and  rentage. 
This  possibility  is  offered  by  a  certain  advantage  in  the 
structure  of  the  organ  ;  which  allows  the  action  to  be  car- 
ried to  ahnost  any  distance  from  the  instrument  itself; 
rendering  it  unnecessary  that  either  organist  or  choir  should 
be  in  its  immediate  vicinity.  This  will  be  seen  by  the 
first  plan,  which  has  actually  been  realized  in  a  large  organ 
built  by  Mr.  Jardine,  of  New- York,  for  a  Methodist  Church 
in  Pittsburg,  Pa.  The  following  is  a  diagram  of  this 
instrument,  and  the  church  for  which  it  is  intended  : — 


OUR  cnuRcn  music. 


43 


B 


E 


A.  The  Pulpit. 

B.  Orsan.  Btandin?  behind  the  pulpit,  and  on  the  pulpit  platform,  in  an  arched  recess, 
eonsirucied  for  the  purpose. 

C.  Orpmnist's  Desk,  standing  sideways,  in  the  centre  of  the  Hrge  square  corner  pew, 
with  seat"*  ronvenieiitly  d;s;>oaetl  around  for  members  ofihe  Choir.  The  Key  and  Draw 
Slop,  and  Pednl  Action  extend  therefrom  horizontally  beneath  the  pulpit  platform,  and 
thence  backward  into  the  Organ.     The  organist  faces  the  pulpit. 

D.  Central  .\isle  and  body  of  the  church  edifice. 

E.  Tower  Entrance. 
There  are  no  (galleries. 

It  may  be  remarked,  that  althoush  the  organist  is  at  such  (rreat  distance  from  the 
organ,  and  the  mechanism  so  extended,  the  touch  is  perfectly  prompt  and  easy,  and  the 
machmery  not  liable  to  get  out  of  order. 


4A  OUR    CHURCH   MUSIC. 

The  advantages  of  such  a  location  for  an  organ  are  evi-. 
dent.  It  serves  as  a  dis^nified  and  ornamental  backorround 
for  the  pulpit :  it  is  out  of  the  way,  occupying  no  pew- 
room  :  it  is  in  the  best  possible  position  for  sound,  pouring 
out  its  full  volume  of  tone  into  the  open  church  :  the  choir, 
on  the  other  hand,  form  part  of  the  congregation,  and  their 
music  must  almost  necessarily  prove  contagious,  and  spread 
to  the  rest  of  the  people. 

An  improvement,  it  strikes  me  however,  might  be  made 
even  in  this  plan.  There  is  always  more  or  less  space,  as 
in  the  present  instance,  between  the  pulpit  and  the  first 
row  of  pews.  The  organist,  therefore,  might  have  his 
desk  directly  fronting  the  pulpit,  on  a  level  with  the  con- 
gregation, and  sitting  with  his  back  to  the  assemblage. 
On  the  right  and  left  of  him,  in  front  of  the  first  pews, 
might  be  seats,  or  moveable  benches,  for  Sabbath  School 
children,  or  for  a  congregational  choir.  The  advantages  of 
this  plan  would  be,  that  the  whole  musical  arrangement 
would  occupy  no  pew-space  whatever  ;  it  would  be  under 
the  immediate  eye  and  control  of  the  clergyman  ;  and  the 
effect  of  children  (if  there  were  such)  clustering  around 
the  altar,  would  be  an  exceedingly  pleasing  one.  An  ad- 
vantage would  also  be  gained  as  to  the  organ  ;  inasmuch 
as  the  action  would  extend  in  a  straight  line  under  the 
pulpit,  and,  forming  no  angle,  would  be  less  complicated 
than  in  the  other  instance.  A  low  screen  might  protect 
the  organist  from  observation,  so  that  there  would  be  no 
undue  conspicuousness,  either  of  organist  or  choir.  Indeed, 
the  organist's  desk  might  be  sunk  somewhat  in  the  floor, 
below  the  range  of  vision. 

This  plan,  it  strikes  me,  is  the  best  one  for  a  square  or 


OL'R  ciii'Rca  II  f  SIC.  45 

oblong  church,  or,  perhaps,  for  a  cluirch  of  any  shape 
or  any  order  of  service.  It  has  the  advantage,  that  it  can 
be  applied  to  churches  of  a  square  shape  already  built  (of 
which  there  are  so  many)  where  the  choir  and  organ  have 
mistakenly  been  perched  in  a  gallery.  For,  at  compara- 
tively small  expense,  a  recess  behind  any  pulpit  could 
be  built  out  for  an  organ,  and  the  organ  action  be  extended 
in  front ;  while  the  place  for  the  organist  and  the  choir 
is  ever  ready.  It  is  evident  that  the  space  thus  left  in  the 
gallery,  by  the  removal  of  an  organ  or  choir,  would  be  so 
much  actual  gain  for  seats  or  pews. 

The  plan  now  proposed  is  based  on  the  supposition  tiiat 
there  is  but  one  choir,  and  a  simple  order  of  service,  like 
that  found  mainly  among  non-Episcopal  Churches.  For 
a  plain  Episcopal  service,  where  the  cathedral  plan  of  a 
double  choir  for  antiphonal  singing  is  not  followed,  (and 
instances  of  a  double  choir  are  but  very  rare,)  we  have 
only  to  displace  the  pulpit,  substitute  the  altar,  and  the 
same  arrangement  would  just  as  admirably  serve.  The 
choir  and  organist  would  be  without  the  chancel  rail ;  the 
chancel  itself  would  be  elevated,  as  usual,  above  the  level  of 
the  ground-floor,  .so  that  the  organist,  if  facing  the  altar,  need 
not  obscure  the  vision,  or  be  unduly  couspicuous.  There 
would  be  a  clear  space  around  the  altar,  and  behind  it,  as 
a  noble  background,  would  rise  the  organ.  The  pulpit, 
or  lecturn,  would  then  stand,  as  u.sual,  at  some  side  point, 
without  the  chancel  rail. 

We  can  now  advance  to  a  more  complicated  service, 
where  a  double  choir  is  used.  For  this  we  have  a  very 
admirable  model  in  the   Church  of  the  Madclaine,  Paris. 


46 


OUR  cnuRcn  music. 


Mr.  Sparks,  who  presents  the  plan  in  his  pamphlet,  thus 
remarks : — 

"  In  all  the  principal  churches  of  Paris  there  are  two  organs  ;  ono 
being  placed  in  close  proximity  to  the  choir — and  especially  built 
to  accompany  the  voices — the  other,  the  grand  organ,  invariably 
standing  over  the  inner  porch  of  the  western  entrance,  and  princi- 
pally used  for  voluntaries,  preludes,  interludes,  etc. 

"  This  will  be  seen  by  the  plan  of  the  beau- 
tiful church  of  the  Madelaine,  in  which  the 
effect  of  the  harmony  is  most  impressive  ;  and 
while  repudiating  the  obviously  overwrought 
attention  to  this  striking  effect,  I  cannot,  as  a 
musician,  withhold  the  observation,  that  the 
occasional  response  by  the  grand  organ  to  the 
passages  performed  by  the  choir,  accompanied 
by  its  organ,  is  most  thrilling.  I  may  ob- 
serve that  the  latter  (choir)  organ,  is  unseen, 
being  placed,  as  I  was  given  to  understand, 
in  the  centre  of  a  space  behind  the  altar. 
This  instrument  contains  many  reed  stops  of 
a  superior  tone  and  quality,  producing  a  most 
grateful  harmony,  fusing  and  blending  in  the 
happiest  manner  with  the  voices." 


MM 


Now,  without  including  two  organs,  at  either  end  of  the 
church,  as  in  this  arrangement,  the  general  plan  here  pre- 
sented might  admirably  serve  for  our  American  Episcopal 
Churches,  where  a  double  choir  is  to  be  used.  The  organ 
could  be  concealed  (as  in  the  plan)  or  revealed  to  view. 
The  organist  in  the  Madelaine  is  hid,  it  is  presumed, 
behind  the  altar.  But  it  is  difficult  to  see  how  a  double 
choir  at  such  a  distance  could  be  well  managed,  or  that 
musical  consentaneousness,  necessary  between  organ  and 


OUR  CHURCH   MUSIC.  47 

choir,  be  secunVl.  The  position  for  the  organist  already 
proposed,  without  the  chancel  rail,  and  facing  both  the  altar 
and  the  choirs,  is  certainly  the  most  favorable  for  musi- 
cal purposes :  its  practicability,  however,  (which  seems 
so  very  apparent,)  has  yet  to  be  tested  by  actual 
trial.  It  may  be  remarked,  as  to  the  place  of  the  choirs 
in  this  plan,  that  they  could  be  concealed  from  view  by  a 
range  of  high  chancel  chairs,  bending  outward  and  cir- 
cularly round,  to  the  corners  of  the  chancel,  the  choirs  being 
hid  behind  them.  This  plan  has  recently  been  adopted  in 
the  new  Trinity  Chapel,  New- York. 

Mr.  Sparks  gives  four  rules  to  be  observed  in  the  loca- 
tion of  organs  and  choirs  : — 

1.  "An  organ  should  not  play  over  one  choir  to  another  choir. 

2.  "  The  people  should  not  be  between  the  organ  and  the  choir. 

3.  "  The  singers  in  a  choir  must  not  have  their  backs  to  the  peo- 

ple. 

4.  "  A  choir  should  tiever  be  in  a  gallery." 

Of  these  rules,  the  3d  can  surely  have  no  force  in  a  de- 
votional style  of  music,  where  the  choir  are  supposed  to 
be  a  part  of  the  congregation,  and  where  not  musical  ef- 
fect, but  devotional  unanimity  of  the  whole  people  is  the 
point  to  be  gained. 

I  will  now  present  a  series  of  diagrams  found  in  Mr. 
Sparks'  pamphlet,  indicating  various  locations  of  or- 
gans and  choirs  in  France  and  in  England  :  in  each  of 
which  })lans,  some  evident  inferiority  to  those  already  given, 
1  think  will  be  found. 


48 


CL'll   CUUliCU   MUSIC. 


"  At  St.  Denis,  Paris,  of  which  we 
have  here  a  view,  the  choir  organ,  it  will 
be  seen,  is  placed  in  front  of  the  grand 
altar  ;  and,  being  very  low,  does  not  at 
all  intercept  the  view,  the  choir  being 
ranged  on  either  side. 

'■  I  may  here  remark,  that  when  I  en- 
tered the  church,  some  portion  of  the 
service  was  being  performed,  and  two 
bassoons  being  added  to  the  accompa- 
niment to  support  the  bass  of  the  organ, 
a  most  preternatural  sensation  was  ex- 
cited." 

"  In  the  church  of  St.  Sulpice,  the 
choir  organ  is  placed  at  the  north  side 
of  the  choir,  but  to  the  east  of  the  sing- 
ers, as  seen  below  :" — 


LA 

\^ 

i\ 

1 1 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

ORANO ORGAN 

H-p 

n 

u 

•            • 
1      •           • 

•           • 

•            • 

1  GRANol 
_  lORGAHl^ 

This  plan  is  very  like  that  in 
the  Church  of  the  Transfigu- 
ration^ New- York.  It  is  also 
the  plan  of  the  New-  York  Trini- 
ty Chapel^  except  that  the  or- 
gan is  carried  still  farther  back 
into  a  recess,  and  concealed  from 
view.  In  both  cases  "  the  or- 
gan would  play  over  one  choir 
to  another  choir,"  and  the  posi- 
tion for  sound  is  greatly  inferior 
to  that  behind  the  altar  or  pul- 
pit. The  same  is  true  of  the 
two  following  plans  in  English 


churches  : — 


OUR  CllUKClI   MUSIC. 


49 


sr 

.    ANDREW'S 

lALTAFJ 

\ 

■l 

1        d-- 

ORGAN      !:-l^ 

# 
• 
• 

• 

• 
• 

"  I  stated  iu  Rule  I.  an  organ 
must  not  play  over  one  choir  to 
another  choir,  as  at  the  Temple 
Church,  and  at  St.  Andrew's, 
Wells-street.  It  has  a  one-sided 
effect;  and,  as  the  organist  gene- 
rally hears  one  choir  above  the  other,  and  the  choir  nearest  the  or- 
gan hears  considerably  more  of  the  organ  than  the  other  choir  oppo- 
site, it  is  frequently  the  cause  of  serious  faults  and  blemishes  in  the 
performance  of  the  music.  For  this  reason  the  organ  should  al- 
ways, if  possible,  be  placed  considerably  above  the  heads  of  the 
singers, — the  tones  of  an  instrument  proceeding  immediately  before 
a  choir  will,  assuredly,  rather  confuse  than  assist  them.  If,  there- 
fore, circumstances  require  the  organ  to  be  placed  on  the  floor  of  a 
church,  the  sound-board  should  be  fixed  as  high  as  the  architecture, 
or  other  points,  will  allow." 


50 


OUR   CHUKCH   MUSIC. 


*'  At  Canons  Ashby,  (Northamp- 
tonshire;) the  people  face  east.  The 
two  choirs  are  behind  them,  and  the 
organ  still  west,  behind  the  choirs. 
This  plan  is  good  for  the  singing  of 
the  choir,  and  the  people's  hearing 
and  singing  ;  but  it  is  objected  to,  on 
the  ground  that  the  congregation 
might  tuini  round,  as  they  but  too 
often  do,  when  the  choir  is  in  a  west 
gallery." 


jl-^T^l 


yjjyyj 

CHOIR 

UUUiUL 

□LEXO 


,    CHOIR  . 

gnaon 


"  One  plan  which  I  would  suggest,  is 
to  have  the  two  choirs  facing  one 
another,  near  the  desk  and  pulpit  (the 
people  facing  east,)  and  to  have  the 
organ  on  both  sides  of  the  chancel  (the 
conducting  tubes  and  trackers  going 
under  the  floor);  or  at  the  east  end  of 
one  aisle. 

"  We  will  now  suppose  the  singers 
to  be  in  the  chancel  (for  the  priest's  po- 
sition is,  of  course,  beyond  my  humble 
province),  and  assume  that  the  two 
choirs  are  on  the  two  sides  of  the  chan- 
cel, as  at  St.  Margaret's,  Leicester. 
Then  the  organ,  as  here  shown,  (if  the  chancel  is  large  enough,) 
may  be  east  of  the  choir,  and  divided." 


OUK   CUUHCII    MUSIC. 


51 


ST.    MARGARET'S. 

"  This  particular  organ  at   St.   Marga- 
ret's,   Leicester,    is,    however,    clumsily 
managed,   and  looks    ugly    and  untidy  ; 
but  there  is,  of  course,  no  necessity  for 
that.     Besides  being  divided,  a   part  of 
the  organ  on  the  north  side  is  placed  in 
an  additional  building,  which  also  serves 
for  the  vestry.     This  plan   answers  ex- 
ceedingly well ;  and  if  the  choir  is  to  be 
in  the  chancel,  and  the  chancel  is  large 
enough,  it  is,  perhaps,  the  best  plan.     If  I 
the  organ  is  small,  it  may  be  altogether  inside  the  arch  opening  into 
the  vestry,  so  as  to  make,  by  its  front 
an  ornamental  filling  up  of  the  arch. 
n  that  case,  it  would  be  better  to  have 
the  player  at  the  cast  side  of  the  organ, 
and  the  blower   opposite   to  him,  as 
shown  in  the  plan." 

At  Byfield,  Xorthamptonshire,  the 
organ,  as  in  cases  named  just  now,  is 
over  the  altar,  which  is,  of  course,  in- 
defensible ;  but  the  musical  effect 
might  be  good  if  the  choir  was  in  the 
chancel.  At  Cannons,  in  Hertford- 
shire, Handel's  organ  is,  or  was,  in  a 
similar  position." 


52 


OUK    CHURCH   MUSIC. 


"  At  St.  Mark's,  Chelsea,  there  is  at  present 
110  organ  ;  the  choirs  face  eacli  other  in  the 
transepts,  and  the  people  face  east  in  the 
nave.  This,  it  appears  to  me,  is  just  as  it 
should  he.  It  has  been  proposed,  in  case  an 
organ  is  placed  in  the  church,  to  put  it  round 
the  apse,  between  the  colonnade  and  the  ex- 
terior wall.  I  have  no  doubt  it  ^YOuld  answer 
very  well  in  that  position.  If  a  chancel  has 
aisles,  the  east  end  of  one  aisle  might,  I 
think,  often  be  a  very  good  place  for  the  organ, 
or  against  the  wall  of  the  aisle,  especially  if 
elevated. 


This  plan  in  St.  Mark's,  given  by  Mr.  Sparks,  strikes 
me  as  a  very  excellent  one  for  a  church  with  a  complete 
transept :  the  choir  music  proceeding  so  immediately  from 
among  the  people.  The  only  objection  is  of  a  musical 
nature ;  the  choir  being  so  far  removed  from  the  organ  and 
organist,  (who  sits  behind  the  altar.)  And  yet,  if  the  con- 
gregational singing  were  general,  its  audibleness  to  the 
organist  would  be  sufficient  for  easy  accompaniment. 

"  An  organ-builder  of  great  experience, 
gives  it  as  the  result  of  his  observation,  that 
the  most  favorable  position  for  sound  seems 
to  be  where  the  organ  can  be  placed  under 
a  roof  which  has  a  pitch  or  inclination  of 
45  degrees.  A  low  roof,  especially  when 
plastered,  is  generally  prejudicial  to  sound  ; 
and  a  number  of  angles  in  a  low  roof  is  also 
most  unfavorable  to  sound.  He  considers 
that  wood  and  stone  are  each  as  favorable 
reflectors  of  sound  as  chalk  and  plaster  are 
unfavorable." 


OUR  cnuRcn  music. 


CRCAN 


"  At  Daventry  Church,  as  circumstances 
prevented  the  choir  being  removed  from 
the  gallery,  I  found  it  answer  well  to 
place  one  choir  in  the  north  and  the  other 
in  the  south  gallery,  as  indicated  in  the 
plan.  The  antiphonal  character  of  the 
musical  part  of  the  service  was,  by  this 
arrangement,  well  sustained. 

"  The  most  successful  example    I  can 
adduce    of  the  position   of  an  organ  near 
the  choir,  and  not  in  a  gallery,  is  in  the 
new  Church  of  St.  Mary  Magdalene,  St. 
Pancras,    London,    where    the   organ     (a 
charming     instrument,    built     by     Gray 
&  Davison)  is  placed   against  the  wall,  at 
the  east  end  of  the  south  aisle,  on  stone 
corbels  about  eight  feet    high — thus   ele- 
vating the  instrument  considerably  above  the  singers,  so  that  both 
sides    of   the   choirs    and    the 
congregation    hear   the   organ 
equally  well." 

The  inferiority  of  all 
these  plans  for  placing  or- 
gans and  choirs  to  those 
given  in  the  first  diagrams, 
must,  I  think,  be  evident. 
A  single  choir  in  front  of 
the  pulpit,  in  non-Epis- 
copal, and  in  front  of 
the  chancel  in  Episcopal 
churches — a  double  choir 
on  either  side  of  the  chan- 
cel,   whether    within     or 


54  OUR  CHURCH   MUSIC. 

without  the  chancel  rail — an  organ  in  the  nave  of  the  church, 
hehind  the  altar  or  pulpit,  with  trackers  for  the  organist, 
who  shall  face  pulpit,  altar  and  choir — seem  to  me  de- 
cidedly the  best  plans,  both  for  musical  and  devotional 
purposes. 

Next  to  this,  as  an  arrangement  for  single  choirs,  a  space 
behind  the  pulpit  or  altar,  for  organ,  organist  and  choir, 
by  which  all  would  be  concealed  from  view,  (except  the  up- 
per portion  of  the  organ  as  background,)  were  perhaps  the 
best  plan  :  this  is  liable,  however,  to  the  objection  of  a 
certain  isolation  from  the  congregation  and  their  musical 
sympathy. 

In  concluding  this  subject,  a  single  word  may  be  said  as 
to  purely  artistic  choirs  for  ornamental  and  impressive  pur- 
poses, such  as  are  found  in  the  Roman  Church.  These 
purposes  may  to  some  extent  be  subserved  by  volunteer 
and  congregational  choirs,  when  well-drilled.  But  artistic 
Church  Music  should  be  invisible,  if  possible,  and  seem  to 
come  to  us  from  afar,  and  from  some  unseen  quarter,  in 
order  to  produce  upon  us  its  legitimate  effect.  Any  place, 
invisible  to  the  congregation,  might  therefore  be  assigned 
to  such  an  artistic  choir  :  that  over  the  portal  or  entrance 
to  the  church,  is  perhaps  as  good  as  any.  This  style  of 
performance  is  of  course  an  exception  to  the  rule,  that  a 
choir  "  should  never  be  in  a  gallery." 

In  the  case  of  two  organs,  however,  a  large  and  a  small, 
(which  we  can  hardly  expect  to  see  realized  in  this  coun- 
try,) the  reverse  of  the  plan  adopted  in  the  Parisian 
churches  would  seem,  in  my  own  view,  best :  the  large 
organ  being  below,  as  appertaining  to  the  people,  and  the 
small  one  above,  to  the  artistic  choir. 


oi'R  CHURCH  music.  65 


"While  the  foregoing  was  being  put  into  type  for  the 
present  volume,  I  received  the  following  letter  : — 

Marietta,  Ouio,  August  7,  1855. 

Dear  Sir  : — Your  New -York  Musical  Worldior  November  25,  1854, 
having  fallen  into  my  hands,!  was  interested  in  an  article  regarding 
the  position  of  an  Organ  in  a  Church — the  Organ  being  placed  back 
of  the  pulpit. 

Being  interested  in  a  church  now  building  in  this  place,  I  take 
the  liberty  ol"  writing  to  you  in  regard  to  the  same. 

The  church  here  is  49  by  77  feet  outside,  and  26  feet  high  inside. 
I  am  pleased  with  the  plan  of  having  the  organ  in  front,  so  that  the 
audience  can  '*  face  the  music  ;"  but,  being  no  musician,  I  desire  to 
know  whether  the  organ  cannot  be  placed  at  A,  (see  plan,)  as  well 
as  back  of  the  pulpits  The  organ  could  be  placed  at  A,  in  an  arch 
3  or  4  feet  deep,  and  on  the  opposite  side,  in  an  arch  not  so  deep,  I 
would  place  the  couiinunion-table  and  baptismal-font  at  B,  with 
a  higher  arch  over  the  desk. 

I  wish  to  know  whether  the  position  of  the  organ  one  side  makes 
any  diflferenee  in  the  sound  ?  What  depth  the  organ  would  occupy  ? 
The  height  of  the  arch,  and  width  necessary  for  an  organ  for  a 
church  of  this  size? 

The  building  is  Gothic,  with  heavy  buttresses,  and  four  double 
windows  on  each  side. 

This  church  is  for  the  "First  Unitarian  Society,"  and  is  being 
built  by  Nahum  Ward,  Esq.,  as  a  donation  to  the  Society,  and  we 
desire  to  have  it, — in  its  internal  arrangements, — the  best. 

If  you  will  pardon  my  freedom  in  thus  troubling  you,  and  if  you 
have  time,  give  me  the  information  desired,  you  will   oblige  your 

Ob't.  Serv  t, 

Wm.  J.  Ward. 


56 


OUR   CHURCH  MUSIC. 


'■■  I  STAIRWAY  TO 

I       BASEMENT 

-B — 


On  reception  of  this  letter  I  conferred  with  Mr.  Jardine, 
the  ingenious  and  excellent  organ-builder  of  New- York, 
already  referred  to,  and  the  result  of  our  conferences  was 
the  following  plan,  to  meet  the  views  expressed  in  the 
letter  from  Mr.  Ward  of  placing  the  organ  on  one  side  : 
a  plan  which  Mr.  Jaraine  kindly  sketched  in  full,  for  the 
use  of  the  society  in  question,  and  for  these  pages  : — 


OUR    CnURCH   MUSIC. 


67 


12-0 ^ 


9       ORGAN 
CO 


■w 


PULPIT 


llx_^ 


VESTRy 


H      TABLE  P 
OR  FONT 


This  plan,  for  a  single  choir  has,  in  some  respects,  an 
advantage  over  the  one  in  which  the  organ  is  placed  in  the 
centre.     But  it  would  not  serve  as  well  for  a  double  choir, 


58  OUR   CHURCH  MUSIC. 

or  for  a  church  in  which  there  are  galleries — there  being 
none,  it  is  presumed  of  course,  in  the  Marietta  Church. 

As  regards  the  question  of  the  space  an  organ,  for  a 
church  of  the  dimensions  given,  would  occupy,  Mr.  Jardine 
replies,  that  an  instrument  costing  ^1,500,  would  be  about 
7  feet  deep,  12  wide,  aud  18  feet  high. 

But  a  very  excellent  rule,  originated  by  the  quaint,  as 
accomplished  Dr.  Hodges,  of  Trinity  Parish,  New- York, 
by  which  to  decide  upon  the  desirable  cost  of  an  organ  for 
a  given  church,  is  the  following  : — 

Multiply  the  number  of  persons  the  church  ivill  accom^ 
modate  by  3 — and  you  have  your  organ.  For  instance,  a 
church  seating  500  persons  would  need  an  organ  costing 
about  $1,500.  For  1,000  persons,  a  three  thousand  dollar 
organ  would  be  desirable,  etc. 


PART    11. 


PART   II. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 


Ol'R  PSALMS  AND  HYMNS. 


Church  Music  takes  its  coloring  to  so  great  an  extent 
from  the  words  with  which  it  is  wedded,  that  a  clear  un- 
derstanding of  the  character  of  the  latter  seems  necessary  to 
a  just  apprehension  of  our  subject.  I  have  therefore  care- 
fully investigated  two  collections  of  psalms  and  hymns  in 
extensive  use  among  us,  presuming  these  to  be  a  fair  ex- 
ponent of  our  collections  generally.  The  contents  I  have 
analyzed  and  classified,  and  am  now  prepared  to  give  a 
condensed  view  of  the  result. 

The  special  object  of  this  investigation,  I  would  state, 
was  to  gain  some  definite  knowledge  as  to  the  amount  of 
devotional  element  contained  in  these  collections  :  or, 
otherwise,  ascertain  to  what  extent  our  psalms  and  hymns 
involve  actual  worship. 

The  first  collection  examined,  was  that  of  the  Episcopal 
Prayer-Book.  The  second,  a  large  collection  used  in  Pres- 
byterian and  Congregational  Churches,  entitled  the  Church 
Psalmist. 


62  OUK   CHURCH   MUSIC. 

^n  addition  to  this,  however,  I  had  also  recourse  to  that 
fountain  of  sacred  song — the  Psalms  of  David.  These 
psalms  I  similarly  classified  : — so  that  a  fair  comparison 
can  now  be  made  between  this  inspired  collection  of  sacred 
song  and  our  uninspired  ;  and  the  specific  tone  and  aim 
of  each  discovered. 

1  will  now  proceed  to  enumerate  the  different  classes  of 
sacred  song  found  in  the  three  collections  named,  give  an 
example  of  each  class,  and  state  the  proportion  of  each  to 
the  entire  collection. 

Class  I: — Prayer. 

Under  this  class  are  included  none  which  are  not  a  di- 
rect and  continuous  appeal  to  the  Divine  Being,  and  are 
strictly  prayers  throughout. 

EXAMPLE  : 

Father,  whate'er  of  earthly  bliss 

Thy  sovereign  will  denies, 
Accepted  at  Thy  throne,  let  this 

My  humble  prayer  arise ; 

Give  me  a  calm  and  thankful  heart, 

From  every  murmur  free  ; 
The  blessings  of  Thy  grace  impart, 

And  make  me  live  to  Thee  : 

Let  the  sweet  hope  that  Thou  art  mine 

My  life  and  death  attend, 
Thy  presence  through  my  journey  shine, 

And  crown  my  journey's  end. 

Of  such  instances  I  find,  in  the  Prayer  Book^  115  out 
of  401,  the  whole  number:  (401  including  the  different 


OUR  CHURCH   MUSIC.  G3 

parts,  or  versions,  of  the  same  psalm  and  the  glorias).  In 
the  Church  Psalmist,  30-3  out  of  1190.  In  King  David's 
Psalms^  oQ  out  of  loO.  The  proportion,  then,  might  thus 
be  stated  : 

Church  Psalmist,  26  to  100: 
Prayer  Book,  28  to  100  : 
Bible,  .  27  to  100. 

Class  II : — Meditation  combined  ivith  Prayer. 


A  charge  to  keep  I  have, 

A  God  to  glorify  ; 
A  never-dying  soul  to  save,   " 

And  fit  it  for  the  sky  ; 

From  youth  to  hoary  age, 

My  calling  to  fulfil: 
0  may  it  all  my  power  engage, 

To  do  my  Master's  will. 

Arm  me  with  jealous  care, 

As  in  Thy  sight  to  live, 
And  O  !  Thy  servant.  Lord,  prepare 

A  strict  account  to  give  : 

Help  me  to  watch  and  pray, 

And  on  Thyself  rely  ; 
Assured  if  I  my  trust  hetray, 

I  shall  forever  die. 

Here,  it  will  be  observed,  the  first  two  verses  are  of  a 
m^itative  character,  while  the  third  commences  a 
direct  appeal.  According  to  the  view  presented  in  a 
preceding  chapter,  this  whole  hymn  would  come  under 
the  denomination  of  icorship      Such  hymns  (as  will  be 


64  OUR   CHURCH   MUSIC. 

seen)  are  numerous  in  our  church  collections ;  the  same 
style  prevailing  greatly?  also,  in  the  Bible  psalms.  The 
form  is  an  admirable  one.  It  seems  fitting  and  natural 
that  the  mind  should  sometimes  pass  through  such  an 
outer  vestibule  of  quiet  meditation,  before  entering  into 
the  inner  temple  of  worship. 

It  must  be  stated,  however,  that  hymns  of  this  charac- 
ter have  not  always  precisely  the  form  of  the  example 
given.  In  some  cases  of  Bible  psalms  this  sacred  medita- 
tion interrupts  the  direct  appeal ;  or  the  two,  again,  fre- 
quently alternate. 

Of  this  2d  class,  I  find  in  the  Church  Psabm'st,  164  in- 
stances out  of  1190  : — in  the  Prayer  Book,  56  out  of  401 : 
— in  the  Bible,  46  out  of  150. 

The  proportion,  then,  is  the  following : 

Church  Psalmist,  14  to  100  : 
PrayerBook,  14  to  100  : 

Bible,  30  to  100. 


Class  III : — Exhortation  combined  with  Prayer. 

In  presenting  this  third  class,  it  must  be  stated,  that 
among  hymns  called  hortatory ,  two  distinct  classes  will 
be  found  to  exist :  namely,  those  which  exhort  to  repent- 
ance, or  are  an  appeal,  of  some  kind,  to  different  classes  of 
individuals  ;  and  those  which  exhort  to  praise.  This  style 
of  exhortation,  in  both  forms,  will  be  found  to  exist  aftne, 
and  also  in  combination  with  other  lyrical  elements  :  as 
for  instance  above,  where  exhortation  is  combined  with 
prayer.     Now,  inasmuch  as  the  object  of  this  analysis   is 


OUR  CHURCH   MUSIC.  66 

to  distinguish  the  devotional  element,  generally,  from  the 
non-devotional,  these  two  forms  of  exhortation  will  have 
to  be  presented  distinctly:  for  b(Hh  are  not  devotional. 
An  exhortation  to  repent,  for  instance,  has  a  sermonizing 
character :  while  distinguished  from  this,  both  in  our 
Church  lyrics  and  in  the  Bible  psalms  actual  praise  of  the 
Divine  Bei»g  will  be  found  to  take  the  form  of  an  exhor- 
fation  to  praise  that  Being — the  act  of  praise  being  evi- 
dently simultaneous  wi^h  the  exhortation.  Under  this  third 
class,  then,  I  include  psalms  and  hymns  which  are  an  ex- 
hortation to  praise,  combined  with  a  definite  appeal  to 
heaven  :  the  whole  lyric,  thus  constituted,  coming  under 
the  denomination  of  worship. 


From  all  that  dwell  below  the  skies, 

Let  the  Creator's  praise  arise  ; 
Jehovah's  glorious  name  be  sung 

Through  every  land,  by  every  tongue. 

Eternal  are  Thy  mercies,  Lord, 

And  truth  eternal  is  Thy  word  ; 
Thy  praise  shall  sound  from  shore  to  shore, 

Till  suns  shall  rise  and  set  no  more. 

In  this  familiar  example  it  w^ill  be  seen,  that  the  first 
verse  is  an  exhortation  to  praise  :  the  act  of  praise  being 
evidently  identical  with  the  exhortation  :  while  a  direct  ap- 
peal commences  with  the  second  verse. 

The  gloria  patri,  in  its  various  forms,  in  the  Episcopal 
collection,  and  the  doxologies  in  other  collections,  are,  for 
the  most  part,  in  this  hortatory  form.  But  they  involve, 
none  the  less,  an  act  of  positive  worship. 


66  OUR   CHURCH   MUSIC. 

Of  such  instances,  I  find  in  the  Church  Psalmist^  46 
out  of  1190  :— in  the  Prayer  Book,  20  out  of  401  :— in  the 
Bible,  10  out  of  150. 

The  proportion,  then,  is  the  following  : 

Church  Psalmist,  4  to  100 : 
Prayer  Book,  5  to  100  : 
Bible,  7  to  100. 


Class  IV  : — Exhortation  (2)  combined  ivith  Praye^r. 

Under  this  class  are  comprised  those  hymns  in  which 
an  appeal  of  some  kind  is  made  to  the  individual  or  to  the 
audience,  combined  also  with  an    appeal  to  heaven  : 

EXAMPLE : — 

The  Saviour  calls — let  e^^ery  ear 

Attend  the  heavenly  sound  ; 
Ye  doubting  souls  !  dismiss  your  fear, 

Hope  smiles  reviving  round. 

For  every  thirsty,  longing  heart, 

Here  streams  of  bounty  flow, 
And  life,  and  health,  and  bliss  impart, 

To  banish  mortal  wo. 

Ye  sinners  !  come  ;  'tis  mercy's  voice  ; 

The  gracious  call  obey  ; 
Mercy  invites  to  heavenly  joys, — 

And  can  you  yet  delay  ? 

Dear  Saviour  !    draw  reluctant  hearts  ; 

To  Thee  let  sinners  fly, 
And  take  the  bliss  Thy  love  imparts, 
And  drink,  and  never  die. 


OUR   CHURCH    MUSIC.  67 

The  form  of  exhortation  contained  in  the  first  tliree 
verses,  plainly  distini^uishes  Class  IV.  from  Class  III. 
The  fourth  verse  coniinencus  and  closes,  it  will  be  observed, 
with  an  appeal  to  heaven.  This  hymn,  then,  Ls  only  in 
part  devotional ;  the  devotional  element  being  confined  to 
the  last  verse. 

This  class  of  hymns  might  bear  analogy  with  a  sermon, 
in  which  the  clergyman  first  makes  an  appeal  to  the  au- 
ditors, and  afterwards  closes  with  a  prayer.  It  is,  un- 
questionably, a  very  useful  and  effective  style  of  sacred 
lyric  for  occasional  use  where,  as  in  the  present  instance, 
an  appeal  is  made  to  the  feeh'/i^s^—ioT  which  music  is  so 
well  suited — and  not  made  to  the  intellect,  in  the  shape 
of  abstract  doctrinal  truth :  of  which  we  find  so  many  in- 
stances in  our  Church  collections,  but  for  which  music  is 
entirely  unsuited. 

Of  such  instances,  though  varying  from  this  somewhat 
in  form,  I  find  in  the  Church  Psalmist,  25  out  of  1190 ; 
in  the  Prayer  Book,  5  out  of  401  ;  in  the  Bible,  4  out 
of  150. 

The  proportion,  then,  is  the  following  : 
Church  Psalmist,  2  to  100 : 
Prayer  Book,  1  to  100  : 

Bible,  3  to  100. 


Class  V  : — Instruction  combined  with  Prayer. 

EXAMPLE  : 

Vain  are  the  hopes,  the  sons  of  men 
On  their  own  works  have  built ; — 


68  OUR  CHURCH  MUSIC. 

Their  hearts,  by  nature,  all  unclean, 

And  all  their  actions  guilt. 

Lot  Jew  and  Gentile  stop  their  mouths. 

Without  a  murm'ring  word  ; 
And  the  whole  race  of  Adam  stand 

Guilty  before  the  Lord. 

In  vain  we  ask  God's  righteous  law  ^ 

To  justify  us  now ; 
Since  to  convince,  and  to  condemn, 

Is  all  the  law  can  do. 

Jesus !    how  glorious  is  Thy  grace ! — 

When  in  Thy  name  we  trust. 
Our  faith  receives  a  righteousness 

That  makes  the  sinner  just. 

This  hymn  in  its  first  three  verses  is  plainly  instructive 
and  doctrinal,  the  same  character  pervading  even  the  last 
verse,  where  an  appeal  is  made  to  heaven.  Not  all  exam- 
ples under  this  class  are  as  coldly  didactic  ;  hut,  in  many, 
the  instruction  is  administered  in  a  warmer  form  ;  while 
the  appeal  to  heaven  is  also  more  direct,  and  indicates  less 
glancing  at  the  audience. 

This  hymn,  it  may  be  remarked,  is  doubly  un- 
fit for  music.  The  irregular  accentuation  at  the  com- 
mencement of  the  lines  would  alone  unfit  it — unless  the 
hymn  were  composed  throughout,  (instead  of  repeating  the 
same  music  to  every  verse,)  and  the  irregularities  of  ac- 
cent were  especially  cared  for.  But  it  is  otherwise  un- 
suited  to  music  in  its  very  un-emotional  character.  The 
only  portion  of  the  hymn  that  appeals  to  the  composer  as 
material  for  music,  is  the  fii'st  line  of  the  last  verse  ;  for 


I 


OUR  CHUECH   MUSIC.  69 

here  there  is  a  gleam  of  feeling.  Music  is  emphatically 
the  lang-uas^e  of  feeling :  and  it  is  fitted  to  express  or  ac- 
company nothing  else. 

G-enerally  speaking,  hymns  like  these  (combining  in- 
struction with  prayer)  involve  an  act  of  worship  only  so 
far,  of  course,  as  their  appeal  to  heaven  is  concerned. 
They,  also,  like  a  previous  class  of  hymns,  may  be  com- 
pared to  a  short  sermon,  after  which  the  clergyman  ofters 
a  brief  prayer. 

Of  such  instances,  I  find  in  the  Church  Psahnii>f,  121 
cut  of  1190 ;  in  the  Proj/cr  Book,  29  out  of  401  ;  in  the 
Bible  Fsal/iis,  2  out  of  loO. 

The  proportion,  therefore,  is  the  following : 
Church  Psalmist,  10  to  100  : 
Prayer  Book,  7  to  100  : 

Bible,  1  to  100 

The  five  classes  now  enumerated  include  all  hymns  in 
which  a  direct  appeal,  of  any  kind,  is  made  to  the  Supreme 
Being.     We  now  come  to  hymns  differently  constituted. 


Class  V  I  : — Meditation. 

EXAMPLE  : — 

Although  the  vine  its  fruit  deny, 
The  budding  fig-tree  droop  and  die, 

No  oil  the  olive  yield  ; 
Yet  will  1  trust  me  in  my  God, 
Yea,  bend  rejoicing  to  His  rod, 

And  by  His  grace  be  healM. 


70  OUK   CHURCH   MUSIC. 

Though  fields  in  verdure  once  array'd, 
By  whirlwinds  desolate  be  laid, 

Or  parch'd  by  scorching  beam  ; 
Still  in  the  Lord  shall  be  my  trust, 
My  joy  ;  for  though  His  frown  is  just, 

His  mercy  is  supreme. 

Though  from  the  fold  the  flock  decay. 
Though  herds  lie  famish'd  o'er  the  lea, 

And  round  the  empty  stall  ; 
My  soul  above  the  wreck  shall  rise, 
Its  better  joys  are  in  the  skies  ; 

There  God  is  all  in  all. 

In  God  my  strength,  howe'er  distrest, 
I  yet  will  hope,  and  calmly  rest. 

Nay,  triumph  in  His  love. 
My  ling'ring  soul,  my  tardy  feet, 
Free  as  the  hind  he  makes,  and  fleet, 

To  speed  my  course  above. 

This  style  of  meditative  hymn  possesses,  according  to 
the  view  given,  the  character  of  worship. 

Of  such  instances,  I  find  in  the  Church  Psalmist,  44 
out  of  1190 : — in  the  Prayer  Book,  12  out  of  401 : — in 
the  Bible,  3  out  of  150. 

The  proportion,  then,  is  the  following  : 
Church  Psalmist,  1  to  100  : 
Prayer  Book,         3  to  100  : 
Bible,  2  to  100. 


I 


OLli    CIILKCII    ML'SIC.  71 


Class  VII : — Meditation  combined  tcith  Exhortation.  (1) 


There  is  a  God! — all  nature  speaks, 

Through  earth  and  air,  and  sea  and  skies  ; 

See  ! — from  the  clouds  His  glory  breaks, 
When  earliest  beams  of  morning  rise! 


The  rising  sun,  serenely  bright, 

Throughout  the  world's  extended  frame, 

Inscribes  in  characters  of  light. 

His  mighty  Makers  glorious  name. 

Ye  curious  minds,  -vrho  roam  abroad. 

And  trace  creation's  wonders  o'er! 
Confess  the  footsteps  of  your  God  ; 

Bow  down  before  him  and  adore. 

The  first  two  stanzas,  here,  are  of  a  meditative  charac- 
acter,  while  the  last  is  an  exhortation  to  worship. 
Both  in  meditation  and  exhortation  this  hymn  is  one  of 
worship. 

Of  such  instances,  I  find  in  the  Church  Psai?7iist,  6  out 
of  1190 : — in  the  Prayer  Book,  7  out  of  401  : — in  the 
Bible,  7  out  of  150. 

The  proportion,  then,  is  the  following : 
Church  Psalmist,  1  to  200  : 
Prat/er  Book,         2  to  100  : 
Bible,  5  to  100. 


72  OUR  CHURCH  :music. 

Class  VIII : — Meditation,  combined  with  Exhortation.  (2) 

EXAMPLE  : — 

In  all  my  Lord's  appointed  ways, 

My  journey  I'll  pursue  ; 
Hinder  me  not, — ye  much  loved  saints  ! 

For  I  must  go  with  you. 

Through  floods  and  flames,  if  Jesus  leads, 

I'll  follow  where  he  goes  ; 
Hinder  me  not,  shall  be  my  cry, 

Though  earth  and  hell  oppose. 

And  when  my  Saviour  calls  me  home, 

Still  this  my  cry  shall  he, — 
Hinder  me  not — come,  welcome,  death  ! 

I'll  gladly  go  with  thee. 

In  this  hymn  the  first  two  lines  of  the  verse  have  a 
meditative  character,  while  the  last  two  are  hortatory. 
But  this  exhortation,  unlike  that  of  the  former  class,  is  not 
addressed  heavenward,  but  to  man.  The  entire  hymn 
can  be  considered  devotional  only  so  far  as  the  two  lines  of 
meditation  in  each  stanza  and  the  pious  resolves  make 
it  so. 

Of  such  instances,  I  find  in  the  Church  Psalmist^  9  out 
of  1190  : — in  the  Prayer  Book,  4  out  of  401  : — in  the 
Bible y  none. 

The  proportion,  then,  is  the  following  : 
Church  Psalmist y  1  to  100 : 
Prayer  Book,         1  to  100 : 
Bible,  none. 


OUR  cnuRcii  MUSIC.  78 


Class  IX  '.—Exhortation.  (1) 


With  one  consent  let  all  the  earth 
'     To  God  their  cheerful  voices  raise  : 
Glad  homage  pay  with  awful  mirth, 
And  sing  before  him  soni|s  of  praise  : 

Convinced  that  He  is  God  alone, 

From  whom  both  we  and  all  proceed  ; 

We  whom  Ho  chooses  for  His  own, 
The  flocks  that  He  vouchsafes  to  feed. 

0  enter  then  his  temple-gate, 

Thence  to  his  courts  devoutly  press  ; 

And  still  your  grateful  hymns  repeat, 
And  still  his  name  with  praises  bless. 

For  he's  the  Lord,  supremely  good, 

His  mercy  is  forever  sure ; 
His  truth,  which  always  firmly  stood, 

To  endless  ages  shall  endure. 

In  this  familiar  psalm  we  have  an  exhortation  t)  praise 
the  Supreme  Being :  the  exhortation  evidently  involving 
the  act  of  praise — being  identical  with  it.  A  hymn  of  wor- 
ship. 

Of  such  instances,  I  find  in  the  Church  Psalmist^  76 
out  of  1190  : — in  the  Prayer  Book,  41  out  of  401  : — in 
the  Biljle,  16  out  of  150. 

The  proportion,  then,  is  the  following  : 
Church  Psalmist,  6  to  100  : 
Prayer  Book,       10  to  100  : 
Bible,  11  to  100. 

4 


74  OUR  cyuRcii  music. 

Class  X  : — Exhortation.  (2) 


Let  party-names  no  more 

The  Christian  world  o'ersprcad; 
Gentile  and  Jew,  and  bond  and  free, 

Are  one,  in  Christ,  their  head. 

Among  the  saints  on  earth, 
Let  mutual  love  abound ; — 

Heirs  of  the  same  inheritance, 
With  mutual  blessings  crowned. 


Thus  will  the  church  below 

Resemble  that  above; 
Where  streams  of  endless  pleasure  flow, 

And  every  heart  is  love. 

This  second  form  of  exhortation  is  plainly  distinguisha- 
ble from  the  former,  and  involves  no  act  of  worship — it  is 
not  addressed  heavenward,  hut  to  man. 

Of  such  instances,  I  find  in  the  Church  Psalmist,  60 
out  of  1190  :— in  the  Prayer  Book,  10  out  of  401  :— in 
the  Bible,  none. 

The  proportion,  then,  is  the  following: 
Church  Psalmist,  5  to  100 : 
Praijer  Book,         2  to  100  : 
Bible,  none. 


OUK   CHL'KCII    MUSIC.  75 

Class  XI  : — LisfructWJi. 


The  law  by  Moses  came , 

But  peace  and  truth  and  love 
Were  brought  by  Christ,  a  noblername, 

Descending  from  above. 

Amidst  the  house  of  God, 

Their  different  works  were  done  ; 
Moses  a  faithful  servant  stood, 

But  Christ  a  faithful  Son. 

Then  to  his  new  commands 

Be  strict  obedience  paid  ; 
O'er  all  his  Father's  house  he  stands, 

The  sovereign  and  the  head. 

The  man  who  durst  despise 

The  law  that  Moses  brought^- 
Behold  !  how  terribly  he  dies 

For  his  presumptuous  fault; 

But  sorer  vengeance  falls 

On  that  rebellious  race, 
Who  hate  to  hear  when  Jesus  calls, 

And  dare  resist  His  grace. 

A  purely   instructive  hymn.     The  unfitness  of  so  cold- 
ly didactic  a  hymn  for  music,  cannot  but  be  apparent. 

Of  somewhat  less  positive  instances,  I  find  in  the  Church 
Psalmist,  110  out  of  1190: — in  the  Prayer  Book;  28  out 
of  401  :— in  the  Bible,  3  out  of  150. 
The  proportion,  then,  is  the  following : 
Church  Psalmist,  9  to  100 : 
Prayer  Book,         7  to  100  : 
Bible,  2  to  100. 


76  OUR  CHURCH  music 


Class  XII : — Instruction  combined  with  Exhortation,  (t) 


Would  you  behold  the  works  of  God, 
His  wonders  in  the  world  abroad  ? 
Go  with  the  mariners,  and  trace 
The  unknown  regions  of  the  seas. 

They  leave  their  native  shores  behind, 
And  seize  the  favors  of  the  wind  : 
Till  God  commands, — and  tempests  rise, 
That  heave  the  ocean  to  the  skies. 

"When  land  is  far,  and  death  is  nigh, 
Lost  to  all  hope,  to  God  they  cry  ; 
His  mercy  hears  their  loud  address, 
And  sends  salvation  in  distress. 

Oh  !  may  the  sons  of  men  record 
The  wondrous  goodness  of  the  Lord. 
Let  them  their  private  offerings  bring, 
And  in  the  church  His  glory  sing. 

The  first  three  verses  here  are  instructive,  while  the  last 
contains  an  exhortation  to  worship  :  the  devotional  ele- 
ment being  confined  to  this  exhortation  in  the  last  verse. 

Of  such  instances,  I  find  in  the  Church  Psalmist,  114 
out  of  1190  :— in  the  Prayer  Book,  25  out  of  401  >-in  the 
Bible  Psalms,  7  out  of  150. 

The  proportion,  then,  is  the  following : 
Church  Psalmist,  10  to  100 : 
Prayer  Book,  6  to  100  : 

BiUe,  5  to  100. 


I 


OUR  ciiuKcn  MUSIC.  77 


Class  XIII. — Instruction  combined  with  Exhortation.  (2) 


Not  to  condemn  the  sons  of  men, 

Did  Christ,  the  Son  of  God  appear; 
No  weapons  in  his  hands  are  seen, 

No  llaming  sword,  nor  thunder  there. 

Such  was  tlie  pity  of  our  God, 

He  loved  the  race  of  man  so  well. 
He  sent  His  sod  to  bear  our  load 

Of  sins,  and  save  our  souls  from  hell. 

Sinners  !  believe  the  Saviour's  word, 
Trust  in  His  mighty  name  and  live  ; 

A  thousand  joys  his  lips  afford, 

His  hands  a  thousand  blessings  give. 

Here,  again,  we  have  an  instructive  and  hortatory 
hymn.  '  But  the  exhortation  in  the  last  verse  is  to  repent- 
ance, not  to  devotion. 

Of  such  instances,  I  find  in  the  Church  Psatniist,  24 
out  of  1190  : — in  the  Praijer  Book,  7  out  of  401 : — in  the 
Bible  Psalms,  none. 

The  proportion,  then,  is : 

Church  Psalmist,  2  to  100: 
Praijer  Book,  2  to  100  : 
Biblcy  none. 


78  OUR  CHURCH   MUSIC 


Class  XIY  : — Narration. 


'Tis  midnight — and,  on  Olive's  brow, 
The  star  is  dimmed  that  lately  shone  ; 

'Tis  midnight — in  the  garden  now 
The  suffering  Saviour  prays  alone. 

'Tis  midnight — and  from  all  removed, 
Immanuel  wrestles  lone,  with  fears  ; 

E'en  the  disciple    that  He  loved 

Heeds  not  his  master's  grief  and  tears. 

'Tis  midnight — and  for  other's  guilt 
The  man  of  sorrows  weeps  in  blood  ; 

Yet  he,  who  hath  in  anguish  knelt, 
Is  not  forsaken  by  his  God. 

'Tis  midnight — and  from  other  plains, 
Is  borne  the  song  that  angels  know; 

Unheard  by  mortals  are  the  strains 
That  sweetly  soothe  the  Saviour's  wo. 

Of  such  instances,  I  find  in  the  Church  Psalmist,  9  out 
of  1190: — in  the  Prayer  Book,  ^  out  of  401: — in  the 
Bible,  none. 


The  proportion,  then,  is  : 

Church  Psalmist,  4  to  500: 
Prayer  Book,  1  to  100  : 
Bible,  none. 


OUR  ciu'Kcrr  music.  79 

These  14  classes  complete  the  classification,  so  far  as 
there  are  enouixh  instances  to  form  a  distinct  class. 

The  omitted  psalms  and  hymns,  in  the  three  collections 
examined,  are  very  few  in  number,  and  combine,  variously, 
the  elements  already  enumerated.  These  combinations 
are  the  following  : — 

Inatrifctioti-exhorlation-prayer  :  of  which  are  found  in 
the  Chfirch  Psalmist,  9  instances: — in  the  Prayer  Book, 
5: — in  the  Bible,  none. 

Meditatiou-instrurtiou-exhortation  :  of  which  are  found 
in  the  Church  Psalmist,  1 : — in  the  Prayer  Book,  1  : — in 
the  Bible,  none. 

Xarration-e^jcliortation  :  in  the  Church  Psalmist,  none  : 
— Prayer  Book,  none  : — in  the  Bible,  3. 

Meditation-exhortation-prayer:  in  the  Church  Psalmist, 
none  : — Prayer  Book,  none  : — Bible,  2. 

The  analysis  of  the  three  collections  of  sacred  song  being 
completed,  we  can  now  accurately  ascertain  the  amount 
of  devotional  element  contained  in  them,  and  the  extent  to 
which  their  contents  involve  actual  ivorship.  As  the 
Church  Psalmist  and  Prayer  Book  are  doubtless  (as  has 
been  said)  fair  exponents  of  the  collections  in  general  use, 
this  result  may  stand  for  our  entire  psalmody  and  hymnody, 
while  the  Bible  Psalms  (in  contrast)  will  stand  for 
themselves. 

The  followiniz  table  of  proportions,  combined  from  the 
preceding  classification,  will  show,  at  a  glance,  the  result 
attained. 


80  OUR   CnURCH   MUSIC. 

PURELY     DEVOTIONAL. 
[Classl,2,3,  6,  7,9.] 

Church  Psalmist,  53  to  100 : 
Prayer  Book,  63  to  100  : 
Bible  Psalms,         92  to  100. 

INSTRUCTIVE   AND  DEVOTIONAL. 

[Class4,  5,  8, 12.] 

Church  Psalmist,  23  to  100 : 
Prayer  Book,  15  to  100  : 
Bible,  8  to  100. 

PURELY   INSTRUCTIVE. 
[Classic,  11,  13,  14.] 

Church  Psalmist,  17  to  100 : 
Praijer  Book,  12  to  100  : 
Bible,  2  to  100. 


CHAPTER    IX. 


coMMEyrs 

1.  The  foregoing  result  conclusively  shows,  that,  viewed 
not  only  in  the  liirht  of  correct  judgment,  but  in  direct  com- 
parison with  the  motlel-coUection  of  sacred  song  allbrded  us 
in  inspired  scripture,  our  psalms  and  hymns  preach  too 

MUCH  AND  PRAISE  TOO  LITTLE. 

Observe  the  extraordinary  disproportion  of  devotional 
element,  as  contained  in  the  Bible  psalms  and  our  Church 
collections  I — and  mark  how,  as  we  recede  from  praise  and 
fall  into  preaching,  the  Bible  psalms  recede  from  us — or 
rather,  we  recede  from  the  Bible.  There  is  no  question,  I 
think,  that  the  Praise  of  our  Creator,  which  is  the  legiti- 
mate office  of  sacred,  churchly  song,  has  been  withdrawn 
from  that  Supreme  Object,  to  give  place,  in  far  too  great  a 
measure,  to  preaching  and  instruction  :  thus,  doing  vio- 
lence, first  to  musical  art,  by  forcing  it  into  a  service  for 
which  it  is  entirely  unfitted,  (to  instruct  and  to  indoctri- 
nate,) and  second,  trespassing  upon  the  peculiar  otlice  of 
the  clergyman  and  the  sacred  desk,  whence  instruction 
and  exposition  are  expected  naturally  to  proceed. 

2.  It  would  seem,  from  the  above  table  of  comparison, 
that   the    Prayer  Book   collection   possesses  in    a   much 


4« 


82  ovn  cuL'KCii  music. 

greater  degree  the  devotional  element  than  the  Church 
Psalmist. 

Since  the  Prayer  Book  collcetion  was  made,  the  re- 
sources of  sacred  song  have  been  exceedingly  enhanced  ; 
and  many  later  collections,  like  the  Church  Psalmist^ 
possess  finer  hymns  :  and  yet^  there  is  no  doubt  that  the 
Prayer  Book  collection,  (though  still  far  removed  from 
the  Bible  standard,)  more  prominently  keeps  in  view  the 
object  of  worship  :  and  it  begins  to  be  a  question,  whether 
fine  poetry  has  not  been  secured  at  the  expense  of  true  de- 
votion. That  there  is  nothing  incompatible  in  the  two  is 
admirably  shown  in  the  Psalms  of  David.  Hence  the  duty 
which  is  suggested,  of  a  reform  in  all  our  Church  collections 
at  the  hand  of  some  competent  person,  who  will  combine, 
to  a  far  greater  extent  than  has  yet  been  done,  the  best 
poetry  with  the  purest  devotion. 

3.  A  curious  fact  has  been  elicited  by  this  investigation 
as  to  one  result  of  attempting  to  versify  and  force  into 
rhyme  the  Psalms  of  David.  On  comparing  the  versified 
psalms  with  the  originals,  the  result  shows  a  far  less  de- 
gree of  the  devotional  element  in  the  versification  than  in 
the  original. 

This  fact  is  proved  by  the  following  tables,  in  which 
the  versified  psalms  (distinctly  from  the  hyiuns)  of  the 
Church  Psalmist  and  the  Prayer  Book  are  compared 
with  the  Bible  originals  : — 

PURELY  DEVOTIONAL. 

Church  Psalmist,  55  to  100 : 
Praijer  Book,  58  to  100  : 
Bible,  92  to  100. 


oru  ciii'ucii  MUSIC.  83 


INSTKli   r;\i:    and  DEVOTIONAL. 

Church  Psalmist,  27  to  100: 
Praf/cr  Boo/.',  19  to  100: 
Bible,  2  to  100. 

PURELY    INSTRUCTIVE. 

Chi/rch  Psalmist,  12  to  100: 
Prai/er  Booh-,  12  to  100  : 

Bible.  2  to  100. 

How  shall  we  account  for  this  strange  result? — it  is 
here  positively  shown,  that,  in  the  process  of  versifying, 
the  psalms  have  deteriorated  in  devotional  tone  and  char- 
acter to  a  remarkable  degree  : — that  the  purely  devotional 
psnlms  in  the  Bible,  which  arc  in  the  proportion  of  92  to 
100,  sink  in  the  Prayer  Book  versification  to  the  propor- 
tion of  58  to  100,  and  in  the  Church  Psalmist  versifica- 
tion to  55  to  100  : — that,  on  the  other  hand,  the  instructive- 
and-devotional  psalms  of  the  Bible,  which  are  only  in  the 
proportion  of  8  to  100,  increase  in  tho  Prayer  Book  versi- 
fication to  19  to  100,  and  in  the  Church  Psalmist  to  27 
to  100: — and,  furthermore,  that  the  purely  instructive 
psalms  of  the  Bible,  which  are  only  in  the  proportion  of  2 
to  100,  increase  both  in  the  Prayer  Book  and  the  Church 
Psalmist  to  12  to  100. 

What  a  substitution  of  preaching  for  praise  do  we  find 
here  I 

And  how  shall  this  result  be  explained  ?  To  some  ex- 
tent, perhaps,  an  explanation  may  be  given.  A  rhyming 
and  versifying  process  would  naturally  change  the  charac- 


S^  OUPw   CnUKCII    -MISIC. 

ter  of  a  psalm.  Qualifying  adjectives  and  expletives  of 
all  kinds,  thrown  in  to  complete  a  line,  together  with  the 
change  of  words,  generally,  are  attempts  fraught  with  dan- 
ger to  the  original.  This,  no  doubt,  instigated  the  Scotch 
version  of  the  psalms,  where  the  aim  is  to  retain,  so  far  as 
possible,  the  words  of  the  original.  But,  although  this 
particular  aim  may  have  been  partially  accomplished,  and 
the  danger  of  a  change  of  sense  to  some  extent  averted, 
the  danger  to  King  David's  poetry  was  very  disastrously 
incurred — judging  by  the  result. 

It  seems  strange,  however,  that  in  the  process  of  versi- 
fying, the  spirit  and  aim  of  a  psalm  should  be  so  essential- 
ly changed,  that  what,  in  the  original,  is  a  devotional  ap^ 
peal  to  heaven,  is  transformed  in  the  hand  of  the  versifier 
to  a  mere  moral  reflection  addressed  to  the  audience  I  I 
will  give  a  single  short  example  of  this — not  the  best  or 
most  obvious  one  that  can  be  found,  perhaps,  but  the  first 
that  offers.  The  5th  psalm  is  devotional  throughout : 
being  addressed  to  the  Supreme  Being,  or  evidently  re- 
hearsed in  his  presence.     The  last  verse  is  the  following  : — 

"  Fortliou,  Lord,  wilt  bless  the  righteous  ;  with  favor  wilt  thou 
compass  him  as  with  a  shield." 

VERSIFIED. 

To  righteous  men,  the  righteous  Lord 
His  blessings  will  extend  : 
And  with  His  favor  all  His  Saints 
As  with  a  shield  defend. 

{Prayer  Book,  Psalm  5th.) 

The  language  of  David  is  that  of  prayerful  assurance — 
The  language  of  the  versifier   is — such  as  we  read  it :  a 


didactic  statement  of  a  fact ;  addressed  apparently  to  the 
audience  :  a  turnin<i;  earth-ward,  just  at  tlie  climax  of 
the  prayer,  instead  of  eh)sing,  as  David  does,  in  consis- 
tent unity  with  the  preceding  verses, — prayerfully  and 
appcalingly  to  heaven. 

Another  explanation  of  the  singular  result  here  present- 
ed is  the  following.  I  find  in  sacred  writ  hut  three  pure- 
ly instructive  psalms — the  1st,  the  127th  and  the  128th — 
and  these  are  among  the  shortest  psalms  of  the  Bihle. 
Now,  in  our  collections  we  have  often  many  versifications 
of  the  same  psalm — as  we  have  many  versified  psalms 
composed  from  one  long  original  psalm.  We  therefore 
find,  for  instance,  that  where  the  Bihle  gives  us  hut  one 
instructive  first  psalm,  in  the  Church  Psalmist  we  have 
the  same  four  times — variously  versified.  Where  the 
Bihle  gives  us  hut  one  127th  instructive  psalm,  we  have 
it  three  times — variously  versified. 

Xow,  it  would  appear  probable,  that  in  the  general  mul- 
tiplication of  psalms  by  versification,  the  instructive  and 
tht*  devotional  psalms,  and  parts  of  psalms,  would  be  equal- 
ly multiplied.  But  this  seems,  by  the  result  presented,  not 
to  be  the  case  : — and  the  fact  remains  as  before,  of  an  ap- 
parently strong  proclivity  in  our  versifiers  to  preaching  and 
instruction,  and  an  unwarrantable  departure  from  the  devo- 
tional sense  of  the  Bible. 

4.  The  conclusion,  then,  it  seems  to  me,  is  irresistibly 
forced  upon  us  by  the  result  thus  presented,  that  the  ver- 
sifiers of  the  psalms,  though  rendering  good  service  to  such 
extent  as  they  havi;  furnished  a  collection  of  many  fine 
sacred  lyrics  based  upon  the  psalms,  have  more  harmed 
than  helped  the  cause    of   sacred    song  in   the  Christian 


8(5  ouu  curuon  music. 

Church,  by  making  these  a  substitute  for  the  original  psalms. 
The  psalms  should  unquestionably  be  sung  just  as  they 
stand,  in  the  admirable  form  of  the  chant.  When  we  see 
to  ho^Y  successful  an  extent  not  only  a  choir,  but  a  Avliole 
congregation,  can  chant  entire  psalms,  as  in  the  Church 
of  the  Holy  Communion,  (Rev.  Dr.  Muhlenberg,)  New- 
York,  there  seems  to  be  no  excuse  for  using  anything  less 
admirable  or  devotional  than  the  language  of  Holy  Writ. 
Let  the  versified  psalms  remain  in  use  if  need  be  :  there 
are  many  most  excellent  lyrics  among  them,  and  no  sacred 
poetry  could  have  a  better  basis,  surely,  than  the  Bible 
Psalms  :  many  of  these  also  are  endeared  to  the  Christian 
Church  by  long  and  hallowed  association  :  let  them  re- 
main then,  only, — let  us  not  make  these  a  substitute 
for  original  psalms  in  our  worship-^an  office  which 
they  are  by  no  means  fitted  to  fill.  For  my  own  part,  I 
would  select  the  best  of  the  metrical  psalms,  consider 
them  as  based  upon  the  psalms^  attach  to  them  the  number 
of  the  psalm  from  which  they  are  taken,  and  incorporate 
them  among  the  regular  collection  of  hymns  :  and  then, 
for  our  psalms,  use  the  original  Psalms  of  David :  so  that 
w^hen  we  say  psalms  and  hymns,  we  literally  mean  psalms, 
and  not  an  imitation, — or  a  dilution  of  them.  The 
advantages  gained  by  thus  being  able,  from  the  rapidity  of 
articulation  possible  in  the  chant,  to  sing  an  entire  psalm, 
as  David  meant  it  to  be  sung,  thus  securing  its  unity, 
would  be  great  and  manifold  :  most  sensibly  felt,  perhaps, 
in  instructive  psalms  ;  for,  it  will  be  found  that  David 
rarely,  if  ever,  wrote  a  psalm  of  this  description,  without 
incorporating  into  it,  somewhere  in  its  progress,  the  element 
of  devotion,  and  raising  a  devout  eye  to  heaven.     Sing- 


OUR  CIIUllOU   MUSIC.  87 

ing,  therefore,  the  entire  psahii,  the  Ahnighty  would 
not  miss  of  that  worship  and  recognition,  which  David 
meant  He  should  have  when  that  psalm  icas  sunfr — an  in- 
tent entirely  toiled  by  the  versifier,  who  eats  out  the  de- 
votion and  gives  us  only  the  instructive  ])ortion  to  sing.  In- 
struction combined  with  prayer  may  be  ellectual  :  but  who 
can  say  that  instruction  alone,  with  the  omitted  prayer, 
shall  prove  so  ? 

In  the  preface  of  a  chant-book,  published  some  time  since 
by  the  late  Bishop  Wainwright  and  Dr.  Muhlenberg,  in 
which  the  psalms  are  arranged  for  singing,  I  find  the  fol- 
lowing remark  with  regard  to  versified  psalms  used  in 
the  Prayer  Book  : — ''  The  rubric  does  not  enjoin^  but  sim- 
ply alloics  their  use ;  and  therefore  the  metre  psalms  and 
hymns  are  bound  in  the  same  volume  with  the  Prayer 
Book  only  for  convenience  sake."  In  this  remark,  as  in- 
deed by  the  whole  preface,  the  use  of  versified  psalms  ir, 
the  Episcopal  Church  as  a  substitute  for  the  original,  is 
thus  discouraged.  I  cannot  but  think,  that  the  worship- 
pers  of  all  Christian  denominations  will  eventually  be  oi 
the  same  mind  as  to  the  use  of  the  original  psalms,  in  their 
beauty,  unity  and  completeness  ;  unshorn  of  their  strength 
and  poetry,  and — still  more  important — unaverted  from 
the  Supreme  Object  of  their  service. 

A  task,  it  seems  to  me,  for  some  competent  hand  yet  to 
perform,  is  a  collection  of  psalms  and  hymns  for  church 
use,  in  which  the  psalms  shall  be  the  incomparable  origi- 
nals, (wholly  or  in  part,)  divided  ox  pointed  for  chanting, 
and  the  hymns  shall  be  the  (poetically)  best  efl'usions  of 
sacred  song,  and  selected  from  the  outpourings  of  devo- 
tional hearts — rather  than  instructive  heads. 


CHAPTER    X 


WEDDLXG  MUSIG  TO  VERSE. 


Wliatever  is  not  of  an  emotional  character  is  unfitted 
for  music.  In  support  of  this  position,  I  propose  to  offer 
a  short  argument. 

Music  is  a  language  of  the  emotions  ;  not  of  the  intel- 
lect. It  cannot  express  thought ;  it  can  only  suggest  it. 
We  cannot  say,  "  It  is  a  fine  day,"  in  music.  Bat,  when 
listening  to  an  instrumental  piece,  like  a  sonata  or  sym- 
phony of  Beethoven,  a  parallel  course  of  thought  may  be 
immediately  suggested  by  the  music. 

Music  may  be  said  to  combine  in  itself  an  expressive 
power;  a  suggestive  power;  and  an  imitative  power. 

The  capacity  of  music  as  an  expressive  power,  is  con- 
fined to  the  feelings.  Even  here  it  is  vague  in  particulars, 
but  tolerably  definite  in  general  tone.  Melancholy  ;  cheer- 
fulness ;  contrition ;  despair  ;  tranquillity  ;  and  perhaps 
other  more  delicate  shades  of  feeling  may,  with  a  definite- 
ness  sufficient  to  be  recognized,  be  expressed  in  tones, 
without  the  aid  of  words.  Vague  feelings  of  the  most 
subtle  and  delicate  character,  (too  indistinct  and  shadowy 
to  be  expressed  in  words,)  can  indefinitely  be  expressed  in 
tones. 

In  its  power  to  suggest  thought,  and  dreams,  and  varied 


ouii  ciirucn  music.  89 

fancies  and  lofty  imaginings,  music  fur  transcends  the 
power  of  words.  Tlie  sui^ij^estirc  power  of  an  instrumental 
pyniphony,  like  one  of  Beethoven  for  instance,  surpasses 
all  reach  of  words  ;  and  tht;  listener  arises  from  sueli  a 
symphony  as  from  communings  with  other  thouglit-workls 
— from  wliich  he  emerges  as  from  a  trance.  The  German 
school  of  music  generally,  it  may  be  remarked,  occupies 
this  sphere  of  art  in  its  instrumentalism,  which  is  so  su- 
perior to  its  vocal  music  :  because  (perhaps)  in  the  latter 
it  is  limited  by  the  sense  of  words.  Whereas  the  Italian 
school  concerns  itself  chiefly  with  the  feelings — and  perhaps 
too  much  with  the  feelings  in  their  passional  and  lowei 
forms. 

In  its  inferior,  imitative  power,  music  can  also  present 
distinct  images.  The  thunder-storm,  the  song  of  birds, 
the  rippling  of  water  ;  also  things  of  vision,  like  the  tremu- 
lousness  of  light ;  can,  with  considerable  fidelity,  be  present- 
ed in  tones. 

These  three  powers,  then, — an  expressive,  a  su^^estive, 
an  imitative,  would  seem  to  be  inherent  in  music. 

In  wedding  music  to  poetry,  therefore,  we  have  in  the 
former  a  language  peculiarly  of  feeling,  but  combining  also 
a  suggestive  and  imitative  power  ;  and  in  the  latter,  a 
language  of  both  thought  and  feeling.  Each  of  these  two 
is  independent  of  the  other,  and  has  its  own  peculiar  mode 
of  expression  and  working  sphere. 

Now,  in  a  combination  of  the  two,  when  is  the  union 
natural  and  effective,  and  when  is  it  unnatural  and  in- 
effective ?  Under  what  conditions  will  the  two  harmo- 
niously blend  to  accomj)lish  one  and  the  same  purpose  ? — 
for,  a  simultaneous  union  of  any  other  two  languages,  like 


90  OUR   CHURCH   MUSIC. 

Latin  and  Greek,  would  produce  jargon ;  here,  both  are 
languages  of  thought ;  and  though  the  same  thought  were 
expressed  simultaneously  in  both  languages,  the  dillerence 
of  words  and  of  grammatical  structure  would  neutralize 
it  to  the  ear.  Just  so  it  might  be  in  a  union  of  music 
and  poetry.  Each  must  have  its  peculiar  function  to  per- 
form, and  the  two  functions  must  be  of  a  character  to 
harmonize — or  the  result  is  nothing  but  confusion. 

Now,  it  will  be  conceded,  that  where  music  is  linked 
with  poetry,  the  poetry  furnishes  the  //i ewe— whether  it 
be  joy  or  sorrow,  or  love  or  melancholy.  The  thought- 
service,  then,  is  performed  by  the  words :  the  peculiar 
office  of  music,  therefore,  is  to  express  the  feeling  of  joy  ; 
the  feeling  of  sorrow  ;  the  feeling  of  love  or  melancholy. 
The  words  express  the  thought — the  music  the  feeling. 
For,  although  the  words  may  be  also  expressive  of  feeling, 
the  music  undertakes  this  peculiar  task  of  expression  : — 
it  intensifies  the  words  by  a  vivid  and  glowing  portrayal 
of  whatever  emotions  they  may  involve.  Sometimes,  also, 
one  of  music's  other  powers  is  called  into  play — its  imita- 
tive. In  Beethoven's  Adelaide,  for  instance,  where  the 
poet  alludes  to  the  nightingale,  the  note  of  the  nightingale 
is  imitated  in  the  music.  Two  functions  of  music,  there- 
fore, its  expressive  and  imitative,  in  this  song  are  brought 
into  play  :  its  third  function  is  superseded  by  the  words, 
which  give  the  theme  of  the  song,  and  the  thoughts  de- 
veloped upon  this  theme. 

This  third  function  of  music,  it  may  be  remarked,  has 
in  vocal  music  an  appropriate  sphere  of  action  in  all  inter- 
jected, instrumental  interludes ;  like  those  between  the 
verses  of  church  hymns,  where  the  interludes  should  sug- 


OUR   CIIUKCll    ML" SIC.  91 

s^'est  thouohts  in  unison  with  thos^e  which  have  jnst  been 
uttered  by  the  words,  or  (antieipatingly)  witii  those  which 
inunediately  follow  in  the  succeeding  verse — plainly  dis- 
tinoruished  thus  from  those  unmeaning  interludes,  in  which 
neither  the  thought  nor  the  feeling  of  the  preceding  verse 
is  at  all  regarded,  but  a  frivolous  and  irrelevant  music- 
phrase  is  thrown  in,  entirely  foreign  to  the  subject  and  the 
occasion. 

To  express,  in  a  word  then,  the  service  music  has  to 
render  when  wedded  with  words — besides  articulating 
them,  and  now  and  then  imitating  the  objects  or  images 
they  present — it  gives  expression  to  whatever  feeling'  the 
words  may  contain.  If  music  has  not  this  to  do,  when 
wedded  with  poetry,  then  it  has  notJiing  to  do  :  and  it  is 
an  unmeaning  and  hindering  accompaniment  of  words — 
it  is  Latin  and  Greek  articulated  in  the  same  breath. 
And  here  we  find,  as  we  think,  the  principle  which  governs, 
or  should  govern  the  selection  of  words  for  music  ;  and 
which  we  stated  at  the  outset :  namely,  that 

Whatever  is  not  of  an  emotional  character  is  un- 
fitted FOR  MUSIC. 

Words  need  not,  of  course,  necessarily  involve  feeling  ; 
poetry  need  not  involve  this  element.  It  is  such  words, 
or  such  poetry,  therefore,  as  do  tiot  involve  this,  but  are 
purely  a  language  of  the  intellect  with  which  music  is 
falsely  wediled — where  it  has  no  meaning,  and  can  serve 
for  nothing  but  to  interrupt. 

But  I  would  here  say,  that  music,  in  two  of  its  forms, 
seems  to  meet  a  less  emotional,  or  non-emotional,  chara.^- 
ter  of  words,  half  way.  These  are,  the  chant  and  the  re- 
citative— which  are  the  lowest  forms  of  musical  utterance. 


92  OUR  CIIUllCH   MUSIC. 

They  involve,  simply,  a  kind  of  musical  declamation  :  and 
have  been  advantageously  applied  both  in  secular  and 
sacred  art. 

David's  psalms  were  doubtless  sung  in  a  reciting  or 
chanting  style.  Hence,  a  length  in  some  of  them  which 
is  impracticable  in  slower  versification  ;  and  hence,  doubt- 
less, a  didactic  character  of  words  in  some  instances, 
which,  not  conflicting  with  mere  musical  declamation, 
very  much  conflicts  with  the  higher  and  warmer  forms  of 
musical  expression. 

As  in  versifying  the  psalms,  then,  we  made  many  of 
them  as  to  their  unity  impracticable,  so  we  have  rendered  the 
more  didactic  passages  of  them — practicable  enough  in 
musical  recitation — impracticable  as  lyrical  elements 
for  warmer  musical  expression.  "We  return  thus  to  the 
previous  obvious  necessity — of  singing,  or  rather  chanting 
the  psalms  just  as  they  stand. 

In  secular  art  we  have  special  occasion  to  see  the  folly 
of  attempting  to  set  purely  prosaic  language,  where  not 
the  slightest  feeling  in  involved,  to  music.  For  when,  in 
opera,  (particularly  in  English  opera.)  one  person  on  the 
stage  tells  another  to  "  shut  the  door,"  or  "  pick  up  his  hat," 
with  a  flourish  of  high  sounding  music,  if  common  sense 
do  not  rebel,  it  is  because  the  ludicrousness  of  the  thing 
must  have  overcome  all  considerations  of  common  sense. 

Sacred  and  secular  art,  operatic  and  church  music, 
have  surely  yet  to  be  sifted,  as  to  words  which  are  proper 
to  be  sung^  and  words  which  are  only  proper  to  be  said. 

The  principle  herewith  evolved,  then,  can  now  be  applied 
to  church  music  as  wedded  with  church  poetry.     We  have 


OL'U    CIll'KCII    ilL'SlC.  03 

seen  in  tJio  former  chapter  on  tliis  subject,  that  a  large 
nuniher  of  our  church  hymns  are  of  a  purely  instructive, 
doctrinal,  or  otherwise  didactic  character,  and  entirely 
unfit  for  ninsir.  Such  hymns  are  addressed  to  the  intel- 
lect, not  the  feelings.  Music  has  nothing  to  do  with  tho 
intellect.  For  though  it  has  the  power  of  suggesting 
thought,  it  cannot  do  so  when  the  words  themselves,  with 
which  it  is  wedded,  put  a  definite  thought  into  the  mind. 
This  suggestive  power  of  nuisic  only  comes  in  play  when 
disconnected  with  all  words  :  when  it  appeals  to  the  in- 
tellect or  thought-power,  through  the  emotions  or  sensa- 
tions irhich  it  exeites — for  in  this  way  does  music  address 
itself  to  the  intellect. 

Now,  as  regards  doctrinal  hymns,  or  instructive  hymns 
of  any  kind,  it  is  willingly  conceded,  that  if  they  can  be 
expressed  in  such  a  way  as  to  appeal  to  the  fcelings,  as 
well  as  the  intellect,  music  may  well  accompany  them  ; 
for  they  thus  become  emotional,  and  meet  the  requirements 
of  music  ;  they  give  music  something  to  express  :  which 
something  is,  of  course,  the  very  feeling  they  involve. 
For  instance,  in  a  doctrine  like  that  of  the  atonement,  we 
can  conceive  of  a  hymn  being  written  of  an  exceedingly 
emotional  character,  which  should  yet  clearly  and  com- 
pletely present  the  doctrine  itself.  Doubtless,  much  doc- 
trine is  incidentally  conveyed  in  hymns  of  feeling :  for, 
after  all,  the  whole  rescue  of  our  race  is  based  upon  Bible 
facts,  which  wo  call  doctrines ;  but  thes3  facts  had  their 
origin  in  a  heart — which  is  the  Eternal  Love.  It  would 
seem  possible,  and  proper  therefore,  that,  when  intended 
for  music,  doctrinal  thought  should  be  presented  not  only 
in  an  intellectual,  but  an  emotional  form. 


94  OUR   CilUKCir   MUSIC. 

But,  what  shall  music  do  with,  or  for,  such  stanzas  of  a 
church  psalm  as  the  following : — 

Fools  in  their  hearts  believe  and  say, 

Tha-t  all  religion's  Tain  ; 
There  is  no  God  who  reigns  on  high, 

Or  minds  th'  affairs  of  men. 

The  Lord  from  His  celestial  throne, 

Looked  down  on  things  below, 
To  find  the  man  who  sought  His  grace. 

Or  did  his  justice  know. 

By  nature  all  are  gone  astray, 

Their  practice  all  the  same ; 
There's  none  that  fears  his  Maker's  hand, 

There's  none  that  loves  His  name. 

Their  tongues  are  used  to  speak  deceit, 

Their  slanders  never  cease: 
How  swift  to  mischief  are  their  feet ! 

Nor  know  the  paths  of  peace. 

Such  seeds  of  sin — the  bitter  root — 

In  every  heart  are  found  ; 
Nor  can  they  bear  diviner  fruit, 

Till  grace  refines  the  ground. 

"We  have  here  Dr.  Watt's  versification  of  the  14th  psalm. 
It  may  he  well  to  present  the  original  psalm,  in  order  to 
compare  the  two  : — 

PSALM  XIV. 

To  the  Chief  Musician,  a  Psalm  of  David. 

The  fool  hath  said  in  his  heart,  There  is  no  God.  They  are  cor- 
rupt ;  they  have  done  abominable  works  ;  There  is  none  that  doeth 
good. 


OUR  GHURcrr  MUSIC.  95 

The  Lord  looked  aown  from  heaven  upon  the  children  of  men  to 
see  if  there  were  any  that  ilid  understand,  and  seek  God. 

They  are  all  gone  aside,  they  are  all  together  become  filthy  ;  T/urg 
is  none  that  doeih  good,  no,  not  one. 

Have  all  the  workers  of  iniquity  no  knowledge?  Who  eat  up  my 
people  as  they  eat  bread,  and  call  not  upon  the  Lord. 

There  were  they  in  great  fear:  For  God  is  in  the  generation  of 
the  righteous. 

Ye  have  shamed  the  counsel  of  the  poor ;  Because  the  Lord  is  his 
refuge. 

Oh,  that  the  salvation  of  Israel  were  come  out  of  Zion!  When  the 
Lord  bringeth  back  the  captivity  of  His  people,  Jacob  shall  rejoice, 
and  Israel  shall  be  glad. 

In  this  psalm,  as  in  almost  every  other,  David  does  not 
close  without  some  outburst  of  feeling,  some  warm  aspi- 
ration, some  lifting  of  a  prayerful  thouglit  to  heaven — 
even  although  the  psalm  may  not  be  of  a  purely  devotional 
character — as  the  great  majority  of  psalms  are.  In  the 
versification,  the  first  three  verses  evidently  follow  the 
original  text.  The  4th  and  5th,  however,  are  quite  ex- 
temporized, and  the  last  verse  of  the  original  text,  which 
contains  the  very  emotional  element  sought  by  music,  and 
which  forms  the  climax  of  the  psalm,  is  oviitted  altogether ! 
Now,  granted  that  a  psalm  must  often  be  curtailed  on 
account  of  its  length  ;  in  a  choice  of  materials,  ought  not, 
if  possible,  all  the  general  elements  of  a  psalm  to  be  em- 
bodied ?  at  all  events,  if  some,  or  even  one^  be  omitted, 
should  that  07ie  be  the  very  element  which  is  peculiarly 
adapted  to  musical  expression,  when  it  is  this  which  is 
aimed  at  in  the  versification  ?  One  cannot  but  feel,  in 
comparing  the  two  versions  here  given,  how  much  better 
it  would  have  been,  had  a  glowing  versification  of  the  last 


96  OUR   CHURCH   MUSIC. 

Bible  stanza  taken  the  place  of  tlie  two  gratuitously  doc- 
trinal verses  appended  by  the  poet ;  or  rather,  one  cannot 
help  feeling  how  much  better  were  the  psahn  sung  exactly 
as  it  is  written.  Is  not  this  another  illustration  of  what 
we  have  before  said,  "  that  the  versifiers  of  the  psalms, 
though  rendering  good  service  to  such  extent  as  they  have 
furnished  many  fmc  sacred  lyrics  based  upon  the  psalms, 
have  more  harmed  than  helped  the  cause  of  sacred  song 
in  making  these  a  substitute   for  the  originals." 

Between  poetry  intended  for  music,  and  poetry  not  in- 
tended, a  broad  distinction  should  be  made — for  music  in- 
volves the  necessity  of  feeling :  poetry  does  not.  Instru- 
mental music  is  occasionally  written  which  seems  to  appeal 
to  the  imagination  mainly,  and  involves  little  feeling.  Some 
of  Mendelssohn's  orchestral  music  is  of  this  character.  But 
the  ear  cannot  long  delight  in  a  coldly  imaginative  music. 
There  must  be  warmth — a  heart  in  music,  or  it  is  lifeless. 
In  this  respect  music  differs  from  poetry.  Poetry  is  a  lan- 
guage of  independent,  intelligible  thought  as  well  as  feel- 
ing. Poetry  therefore — if  poets  will — can  be  made  a  ve- 
hicle of  instruction  and  abstract  teaching.  Oftentimes, 
from  the  metrical  form  of  poetry,  and  tha  facility  with 
which  it  impresses  itself  upon  the  memory,  it  may  seem 
desirable  to  embody  certain  fundamental  truths,  or  useful 
facts,  in  rh3rme,  for  the  sake  of  fixing  them  permanently  in 
the  mind.  Particularly  is  this  of  use  in  the  case  of  young 
people  and  children.  But  when  you  come  to  set  this  rhyme 
to  music,  the  case  is  diiTerent.  Music  cannot  express,  or 
help  express,  abstract  thought — unless  you  mean  by  music 
an  utterly  senseless  jingle. 


OL'U  CIIUKCU   MUSIC.  97 

As  a  matter  of  possibility  music  may  be  set  to  any- 
thing : — 

Thirty  days  hath  September, 
April,  June  and  November,  etc 

thongli  not  a  highly  impassioned,  is  certainly  a  very  useful 
little  poem  ;  and  the  poet  who  rhymed  it  would  have  his 
immortality  of  praise  from  all  treacherous  memories — if  he 
were  known.  This  verse  might  be  sung.  In  like  manner 
might  we  sing  the  multiplication  table  or  the  Declaration 
of  Independence.  But  where  shall  we  find  the  composer 
who  would  sot  it  to  music,  or  who  would  like  to  listen  to 
it  after  it  were  set  ? 

Schiller,  in  a  charming  poetic  fable,  represents  a  burly 
rustic  as  purchasing  on  a  market-day  of  a  poor  and  needy 
poet  his  fiery  and  Hying  steed  Pegasus,  and  yoking  him  in 
with  a  field-ox  for  duty.  The  antics  Pegasus  thereupon 
performs,  and  the  entire  failure  of  the  attempt,  at  last,  are 
graphically  depicted.  Prose  is  a  sturdy  ox,  and  fully  capa- 
ble of  drawing  on  the  ponderous  doctrines  of  total  depravi- 
ty, necessity  of  sin,  predestination,  and  the  perseverance  of 
the  saints — if  need  be.  Let  then  the  car  of  abstract  doc- 
trine be  drawn  by  the  sturdy  ox  Prose.  But  let  our  holy 
emotions,  our  thankfulness,  our  gratitude,  ascend,  as  on 
winged  steeds — on  the  wings  of  music  and  poetry — to 
heaven.  The  sermon  is  surely  the  proper  medium  for 
plain  statement  of  fact  and  abstract  truth — not  the  hymn. 

It  would  seem  exceedingly  desirable,  that  our  church 
lyrics,  not  only  as  to  subject-matter,  but  ieng-th,  should  more 
fully  meet  the  requirements  of  nmsic  and  lyric  verse.  We 
cannot  but  think  tliat  our  hvjiins  are  too  long,  and   that 


98  OL'K    CH'JilCII    MUSIC. 

they  do  not  possess  that  unity  which  is  so  desirable  in 
lyric  poetry.  The  lyric  is  best  used  as  the  out-gush  of 
some  single  feeling  which,  as  the  top-wave  of  sensibility, 
is  taken  by  music  as  it  breaks  and  borne  still  higher — for 
music  begins  where  words  cease.  The  feeling  therefore 
should  be  pointed  and  definite."  Two  conflicting  emotions 
cannot  be  combined  at  the  same  moment :  neither  can  the 
climax  of  feeling  be  of  long  duration. 

But,  instead  of  this  necessary  unity,  we  have  hymns  in 
which  now  the  Deity  is  addressed — now  the  audience — 
now  the  single  individual :  sinsrle  hymns,  where  now  a 
prayer  is  commenced — now  a  crumb  of  doctrine  let  fall — 
now  a  moral  reflection.  And  instead  of  a  befitting  brevity, 
we  have  hymns  of  six,  eight,  twelve,  fifteen  and  more 
stanzas ! 

Four  verses  of  the  ordinary  four-line  length,  or  two  of 
eight,  are  certainly  enough  for  any  ordinary  hymn,  and 
when  the  gloria  or  doxology  is  appended,  three  are  better 
than  four.  This  liniitation  is  particularly  true  in  all  music 
of  the  choral  form,  like  Old  Hundred  or  Dundee.  In 
music  of  a  rapid,  chanting  movement,  a  verse  or  two  more 
might  conveniently  be  added. 

The  irresistible  yawning  which  is  frequently  observed 
to  set  in,  from  sheer  exhaustion  of  the  vocal  muscles  on  the 
part  of  the  choir,  and  of  the  attention  on  the  part  of  the 
congregation,  is  an  expressive  commentary  upon  six  or 
eight  stanzas  of  Dundee  or  Old  Hundred.  I  should 
think,  moreover,  that  clergymen,  whom  the  length  of  the 
hymns  and  rambling  character  of  their  thought  chiefly 
concern,  and  who  sufler  so  much  inconvenience  from  being 
obliged  to  pick  out,  here  and  there,  such  verses  as  suit  their 


OUR  CUURCIl   MUSIC.  99 

purpose,  would  long  since  have  taken  some  step  in  this 
matter. 

Another  troublesome  defect  of  our  church  hymns,  and 
one  that  springs  from  the  fact  that  their  authors  are  more 
poets  than  musicians,  is  their  great  irregularity  of  accent. 
Musical  poetry,  and  poetry  written  for  music,  are  two 
very  different  things.  A  change  in  the  accent  of  poetry  is 
occasionally  necessary  to  break  the  monotony^it  is  not 
only  no  defect,  but  a  positive  beauty,  skilfully  introduced. 
If  there  be  anything  tiresome  in  Pope's  poetry,  it  is  the 
inevitable  fall  of  his  accent ;  which  goes  on,  page  after 
page,  with  even  monotony.  The  occasional  interruption 
of  poetic  accent  is  the  pleasing  dissonance,  which,  as  in 
music,  spices  the  melody.  The  stones  in  the  bed  of  the 
brook  make  its  music  the  sweeter. 

But  musical  accent,  although  as  facile  as  that  of  poetry, 
cannot  be  changed  where,  as  in  the  church  hymns,  the 
same  music  is  sung  to  each  stanza.  The  composer  will- 
ingly takes  the  accentuation  of  the  first  verse  just  where 
the  poet  chooses  to  place  it,  regular  or  irregular,  and  com- 
poses accordingly.  But,  in  the  second  and  following 
verses,  if  the  same  music  be  sung,  no  variation  from  this 
given  accent  can  be  made,  without  reconstructing  the 
melody.  If  a  hymn  be  composed  throughout ^  the  accent 
of  course  can  fall  where  it  will,  and  the  composer  can  fol- 
low. But  take,  for  instance,  the  following  Psalm,  (58th 
Prayer  Book.) 

Thine  is  the  cheerful  day,  O  Lord  ; 

Thine  the  return  of  night ; 
Thou  hast  prepared  the  glorious  sun, 

And  every  feebler  light. 


100  OUR  CHURCH   MUSIC. 

By  Thee  the  borders  of  the  earth 

In  perfect  order  stand  ; 
The  summer's  warmth  and  winter's  cold 

Attend  on  Thy  command. 

The  poet  here  chooses  to  place  in  the  first  verse  an  ac- 
cent on  the  first  syllable  of  the  first  three  lines,  instead  of 
the  second  syllable,  where  the  regular  accent  of  the  verse 
AYould  fall.  Music  has  no  objection  to  this :  it  could  be 
sung  as  pleasantly  as  it  reads.  But  music  does  object,  and 
so  does  rhetoric,  to  such  an  italicised  accentuation  of  words 
as  we  see  in  the  second  verse — which  must  inevitably  follow 
when  the  melody  of  the  first  verse  is  applied  thereto. 

This  defect  is  exceedingly  prevalent  in  our  church  poetry. 
One  can  scarcely  sing  a  hymn  in  which  this  conflict  of 
measure  does  not  take  place,  and  in  which  violence  is  not 
done  both  to  the  ear  and  to  common  sense  by  some  absurd 
fall  of  the  accent.  Those  who  write  sacred  poetry,  and 
those  who  select  it  for  use,  ought  surely  to  understand, 
that  the  accent  must  positively  be  regular,  in  verses  sung 
to  a  repeated  musical  j^hrase,  like  our  church  hymns. 

There  are  a  great  many  beautiful  hymns  of  very  irregu- 
lar accent — and  among  the  least  of  these  are  certainly  not 
those  of  Dr.  Watts.  Such  instances  will  serve  an  admira- 
ble purpose  when  the  time  arrives  (which  we  hope  is  not 
far  distant)  that  more  of  our  hymns  shall  be  taken  in  hand  by 
men  of  true  genius  for  musical  composition,  and  composed 
throughout,  in  some  such  form  as  that  of  the  motet,  with 
every  adaptation  to  accent,  sentiment,  and  delicate  shade 
of  feeling  in  the  successive  verses.  Such  hymns  can  then 
artistically  be  sung  by  well-trained  choirs  as  an  impres- 


OUR  CHURCH   MUSIC.  lOl 

sive  style  of  church  music ;  clearly  distinguished  from 
the  congreii^ational,  devotional  style,  inasmuch  as  the 
nuisic  of  the  latter  is  necessarily  limited  to  a  very  simple, 
repeated  melody,  and  performed  in  rude  outline,  only,  as 
to  expression;  its  massive  proportions  rejecting  (like  a 
statue)  the  smaller  effects  of  coloring :  such  as  are  im- 
parted by  the  various  pianos,  crescendos,  diminuendos ,  etc., 
of  the  choir  style. 


CHAPTER    XI 


ON  THE  TREATMENT  OP  WORDS  IN  MUSIC. 

Of  two  associated  persons  one  will  almost  always  con- 
trol and  subordinate  the  other  : — and  a  union  in  art  is  very 
like  any  other  union.  Thus,  in  wedding  music  to  poetry, 
the  music  may  be  subordinate  to  the  poetry,  or  the  poetry 
to  the  music. 

This  subordination  is  shown  in  treatment  of  the 
words.  Instances  of  both  styles  of  treatment  may  be  cited. 
Poetry  is  made  subordinate  to  music,  for  instance,  to  a 
great  extent  in  opera  :  where  it  is  not  required,  if  the  plot 
be  good,  that  its  literature  be  of  a  superior  quality.  The 
words  are  secondary  :  they  merely  give  the  plot  of  the 
opera  and  then  serve  as  a  means  of  articulation.  Indeed, 
the  dramatic  action  is  often  made  to  present  the  story 
much  more  vividly  than  the  words :  and  an  expressive 
pantomime  frequently  makes  the  words  superfluous. 

Thus  it  often  happens  that  the  text  of  an  opera  is  thrown 
exceedingly  into  the  background.  Italian  opera  is  the 
prevailing  style  upon  the  stage  of  the  world  ;  and  of  the 
thousands  who  listen  to  it,  but  very  few  understand  the 
native  Italian :  whilst  the  translated  libretto  which  is  put 
into  the  hands  of  the  public,  is  generally  such  excessive 
trash,  considered  as  poetry,  that  no  one  ever  thinks  of  read- 


OL'R    CIIUIICII    MUSIC.  103 

ing  it,  except  for  the  purpose  of  becoming  informed  as  to 
the  plot.  The  text  of  iMozart's  celebrated  Zcuiberjlute  is 
quite  remarkable  for  its  nonsensl^ — even  as  to  plot :  and 
this  splendid  work  of  musieal  art  lias  always  been  a  monu- 
jnentof  what  gtMiius,  like  Mozart's,  will  accomplish,  mider 
the  severest  poetical  diiliculties. 

Other  instances  where  poetry  is  subordinated  to  music, 
we  frequently  find  in  songs.  Many  songs  which  are  ex- 
ceedingly popular,  would  certainly  never  have  gained  the 
popular  ear  for  the  excellence  of  their  poetry.  Indeed, 
much  music  of  this  character  which  we  listen  to  in  the 
drawing-room  with  pleasure,  is  reconciled  to  our  common 
sense  only  because  some  general  feeling,  like  love, — which 
is  a  common  sense  thing — is  intended  to  be  portrayed : 
and  having  secured  the  general  subject,  we  heed  not  the 
words  so  much,  [which  in  the  mouths  of  most  singers  are 
exceedingly  unintelligible,]  but  listen  to  the  far  better  em- 
bodiment of  the  theme  in  music.  Songs  which  are  just 
the  reverse  of  this  in  style,  will  directly  be  cited. 

Still  other  instances  where  words  are  subordinated  to 
tones  we  find  in  sacred  music — the  Hallelujah  chorus  of 
Handel,  for  example.  This  chorus  is  written  mainly  upon 
this  woid  Hallelujah.  The  constant  repetition  of  this 
word,  intellectually  considered,  seems  preposterous.  But, 
not  so — the  composer  is  developing,  musically,  the  theme 
suggested  by  the  word,  praise  to  Jehovah.  The  word 
Hallelujah  having  furnished  him  with  a  theme,  serves, 
then,  only  as  a  means  of  articulation.  The  word  Amen  is 
also  often  repeated  in  a  way  to  do  violence  to  common 
sense,  unless  one  hears  in  it  a  strong  afhrmation  of  the 


104  OUR  CHURCH  music. 

sentiment  which  has  preceded,  forced  emphatically  home 
by  the  music. 

People  often  ridicule  this  repetition  of  words  in  music. 
But  there  is  philosophy  in  it — musical  philosophy.  The 
words,  for  the  moment,  are  subordinated  to  the  tones,  and 
made  to  subserve  merely  tlie  purposes  of  articulation. 
Music  is  the  language  of  feeling.  If,  then,  an  opera  or  a 
song  contain  vivid  and  varied  feeling,  the  music  seizes 
the  emotion  whatever  it  may  be  at  the  moment,  love — 
jealousy — fear — indignation,  &;c. — and  developes  it,  with 
out  reference  to  the  fact  whether  this  emotion  be  well  ex- 
pressed in  the  words,  or  not.  The  words  give  the  theme 
only  ;  which  is  developed  musically. 

In  this  sense,  then,  are  words  subordinated  to  music. 

But  music  is,  in  very  many  instances,  subordinated  to 
poetry,  both  in  the  secular  and  sacred  style.  Of  the  former, 
we  find  a  marked  instance  in  Moore's  songs  :  particularly 
in  those  to  which  he  composed  the  melody  himself. 
Moore  was  more  a  poet  than  a  musician :  he  wished  to  be 
thought  this.  He  was  even  jealous  of  music  and  its  re- 
putation ;  and  did  not  wish  to  be  esteemed  a  musician. 
His  songs,  or  rather  the  Irish  melodies,  to  so  many  of 
which  his  songs  are  written,  are  but  indifferent  music — 
at  least  to  a  cultivated  ear,  and  considered  as  compositions. 
Their  chief  merit  is,  that  by  Moore's  exquisite  and  subtle 
adaptation  of  his  words  to  their  tones,  they  are  made  to  sub- 
serve so  admirably  the  purposes  of  clear  articulation. 
These  songs,  indeed,  have  the  character  of  a  musical  re- 
citation ;  and  possess  more  rhetorical  than  musical  merit. 

Another  instance  where  music  is  entirely  subordinated 


OUK   ClIUKCIl    MLSlt'.  105 

to  words,  is  the  recitative  ;  both  in  operatic  and  oratorial 
composition. 

tStill  another  instance  is  the  church  chant ;  in  which 
music  plays  but  an  humble  part. 

More  instances  might  be  cited  ;  but  these  may  suflice 
to  show,  that,  in  wedding  music  to  words,  one  is  generally 
made  subservient  to  the  other  ;  and  that  this  inferior  ser- 
vice may  be  rendered  cither  by  the  poetry  or  the  music. 

Now,  inasmuch  as  music  is  oftener  composed  to  poetry 
than  poetry  written  to  music  (like  Moore's  songs  to  the 
Irish  melodies)  it  has  generally  been  an  optional  thing 
with  the  composer  how  he  would  treat  the  text — whether 
subordinate  to  his  musical  purpose  or  not.  And  yet  we 
cannot  but  think  that  there  are  certain  considerations  by 
which  the  composer  should  be  guided  in  this  matter,  and 
the  question  decided  ivhcii  the  text  may  be  subordinated 
to  the  music,  and  when  not.  For  instance,  we  cannot 
think  that  it  is  an  optional  matter  with  the  composer  how 
to  treat  his  text  in  the  devotional  style  of  music. 

Here,  music  cannot  have  the  pre-eminence  and  the 
words  be  sacrificed  to  the  purposes  of  mere  musical  effect, 
for  obvious  reasons.  Music  is  not  devotion.  Can  we  pray 
in  music  ? — can  we  confess  our  shortcomings  and  ask  for 
forgiveness  in  music  ?  Therefore,  in  addressing  directly 
the  Supreme  Being,  a  language  of  the  intellect — the  intelli- 
gible language  of  words — cannot  be  subordinated  to  a  mere 
language  of  the  feelings,  whose  signification  is  so  inde- 
finite as  is  that  of  music.  But  this  improper  subordina- 
tion takes  place,  when  words  embodying  a  prayer  are  so 
treated  by  the  composer  as  to  become  an  indistinct  med- 
ley, and    all    intelligent  sequence   of  thought  destroyed, 

5* 


106  OUR  CilURCII    MUSIC. 

to  those  participating  in  the  act  of  devotion,  by  "  vain  repe- 
titions" and  involutions  of  the  text. 

Aside  from  a  case  like  this,  however,  where  such  solemn 
interests  are  involved,  the  composer  can  treat  the  words 
as  he  likes  ;  guided  only  by  good  taste  and  by  what  he 
thinks  will  produce  the  best  effect.  There  are  many 
poems,  the  words  of  which  are  so  exquisitely  beautiful, 
that  the  composer  despairs  of  producing  anything  more 
so  :  and  he  only  attempts  so  to  attach  a  melody  to  the 
words  as  that  they  may  pleasantly  be  dwelt  on,  and  made 
emphatic,  and  brought  more  definitely  home  to  the  heart 
and  the  fancy.  Again,  there  are  many  poems  suitable  for 
music,  where  the  musician  thinks  he  can  do  better  than 
the  poet  has  done — and  accordingly  undertakes  it. 

The  composer  may  also  be  governed  in  this  matter  by 
the  tastes  of  persons  to  whom  he  addresses  himself.  One 
person  is  more  poetical  than  musical  :  another  is  more 
musical  than  poetical.  Hence,  one  person  gives  the  pre- 
ference to  the  poetry,  and  listens  only  to  that ;  another 
person  is  completely  absorbed  by  the  music,  and  listens 
only  to  that.  One  likes  a  song  because  the  music  is  good  : 
another  dislikes  it  because  the  words  are  poor.  The  same 
fondness  for  this  or  that  is  shown  in  peoples'  preferences 
for  singers  :  one  person  likes  a  singer  because  he  articu- 
lates clearly,  and  he  can  understand  the  words  :  another 
dislikes  him,  because  although  his  articulation  may  be 
good  enough,  his  voice  has  no  music  in  it :  or,  perhaps 
his  style  of  singing  is  bad,  and,  in  the  matter  of  articulation, 
the  effort  to  pronounce  the  words  clearly,  injures,  to 
his  musical  ear,  the  liquid  movement  and  flow  of  the  mu- 
sic.    Thus,  a  composer  may  aim  at  suiting  either  the  one 


« 
OUIi   CilUIiClI    MUSIC.  lOi 


or  the  other  class  of  his  auditors  :  and  subordinate  his  musio 
to  the  words  or  not,  as  he  pleases.  Aside,  then,  from  pur- 
poses of  ilevotion,  poets  and  composers  can  properly  de- 
cide this  question  of  precedence  amon^i^  themselves:  al- 
thouirh  we  suspect  there  arc  very  few  jioets  who  would 
willingly  have  their  poetry  subordinated  to  music — if  they 
knew  what  the  composer  were  about. 

It  may  be  remarked,  that  words  attain  the  greatest 
prominence  when  each  syllable  has  but  one  tone.  The 
further  a  composer  departs  from  this,  slurring  a  single 
syllable  over  two,  three,  ibur,  eight,  ten,  twenty  or  mpre 
tones — as  is  done  indefinitely  in  ornate  musical  composi- 
tion— the  more  he  subordinates  the  words  to  the  music  : 
treating  the  text  like  a  mere  means  of  articulation,  and 
rendering  it  more  and  more  indistinct.  We  arrive  here, 
then,  at  something  definite,  by  which  composers  may  be 
governed  in  the  devotional  style  of  church  music.  In  cho- 
rals, like  Old  Hundred,  Dundee,  &c.,  we  have  but  one  tone 
to  a  syllable  ;  and  in  all  music,  composed  for  purely  devo- 
tional purposes,  each  word  would  best,  in  a  similar  man- 
ner, have  but  one  tone — except  in  occasional  instances 
where  a  slur  over  two  tones  (at  most  three)  is  unavoidable 
from  the  course  of  the  melody  and  the  demands  of  a  musical 
ear.  These  instances  are  not  very  frequent,  and  a  monosyl- 
labic style  of  composition  may  safely  be  considered  as  best 
adapted  to  devotional  purposes. 


CHAPTER  XIL 


MUTILATION  OF  HYMNS. 


Hymns  are  mutilated  in  especially  two  prominent  ways  : 
first,  by  solos,  duets,  etc.,  in  the  middle  bf  a  stanza  : 
second,  by  invariable  interludes  between  the  stanzas  them- 
selves. 

The  first  of  these  cases  needs  no  lengthy  illustration. 
A  favorite  idea  of  psalm-tune  composers  is  to  have  a  solo 
or  a  duet  on  the  3d  line  of  a  stanza  :  the  other  singers 
stop  here,  and  leave  one  or  two  voices  to  go  on  with  the 
verse.  Judge  of  the  effect  of  this  in  the  following  in- 
stances, where  I  will  omit  the  line  ordinarily  omitted  in 
such  cases  : — 

EXAMPLE    I. 

But  when  we  view  Thy  strange  design, 
To  save  rebellious  worms, 

******         * 

In  their  divinest  forms  : — 

EXAMPLE    n. 

God  of  my  mercy  and  my  praise ! 

Thy  glory  is  my  song  ; 

******  ♦ 

With  a  blaspheming  tongue. 


OUR   CHURCH   MUSIC.  109 

Tlie  completed  stanzas  read  thus  : — 


EXAMPLE 


But  when  we  view  Thy  strange  design 
To  save  rebellions  worms, 
Where  vengeance  and  compassion  join 
In  their  divinest  forms  : 


EXAMPLE    n. 

God  of  my  mercy  and  my  praise  ! 
Thy  jrlory  is  my  song  ; 
Though  sinners  speak  against  Thy  grace 
With  a  blaspheming  tongue. 

Now,  how  can  we  tolerate  such  an  unpardonable  in- 
terruption of  the  sense,  but  by  supposing  the  words  en- 
tirely subordinated  to  the  music,  and  used  simply  for  the 
purposes  of  articulation — in  tlie  manner  previously  de- 
scribed ?  But,  in  devotional  hymns,  like  those  from  which 
these  stanzas  were  taken,  it  is  already  decided  that  this 
may  never  be  allowed. 

In  an  address  to  the  Supreme  Being  to  stop  in  the 
middle  of  a  sentence,  and  leave  others  to  go  on,  is  an  ir- 
reverence too  marked  to  require  extended  comment. 

Another  instance  of  this,  is  in  the  Episcopal  Communion 
Service,  where  the  followin«g  words  occur  : — 

"Therefore  with  angels  and  archangels,  and  with  all  the  com- 
pany of  heaven,  we  laud  and  magnify  Thy  name,  saying" — 

Here,  in  some  churches,  the  congregation,  who  are  re- 


no  OUU  ClIUKCH   MCSIC. 

peating  aloud  these   words,  are  suddenly  interrupted  by 
the  choir,  which  finishes  the  sentence  thus, 

"  Holy,  holy,  holy,  Lord  God  of  Hosts,  heaven  and  earth  are  full 
of  Thy  glory,"  etc. 

It  is  scarcely  possible  to  repress  one's  impatience  on 
having  the  words  thus  taken  from  the  lips,  and  the  mouth 
thus  closed.  Indeed,  we  know  not  how  choirs  are 
authorized  in  doing  this,  for  the  instructions  that  this 
passage  may  be  "  said  or  sung,"  include  certainly  the 
entire  passage, — not  an  incomplete  and  fragmentary  part 
of  it. 

But  let  us  pass  from  this,  to  another  subject. 

A  little  indignation  may  well  be  spent,  we  think,  upon 
interludes :  for  we  suspect  they  have  been  the  cause  of  a 
vast  deal  of  quiet,  though  resigned  suffering,  on  the  part 
)f  many  a  church-goer,  who,  supposing  it  was  all  right, 
has  never  thought  of  offering  any  expostulation  on  the  sub- 
ject. 

The  playing  of  interludes  between  the  verses  of  church 
hymns,  has  grown  into  a  great  abuse.  The  interlude  has 
its  use,  doubtless.  Its  abuse  is  heard  every  Sunday  in 
our  churches.  Chiefly  are  interludes  abused  in  strictly 
devotional  hymns  :  in  which,  during  a  direct  and  consecu- 
tive appeal  to  the  Supreme  Being,  the  organist  takes  occa- 
sion to  interject,  between  every  verse,  a  long,  rambling, 
irrelevant  musical  episode  of  his  own  :  something  discon- 
nected entirely  with  the  preceding  sentiment  of  the  verse  ; 
a  musical  flourish,  or  drawl,  a  propos  to  nothing,  embody- 
ing only  the  vague,  straggling  fancies  of  the  player's  brain. 
In  the  meantime  the  Almighty,  (we  cannot  suppose  other- 


oru  ciiuucii  iirsic.  Hi 

wise,)  awaits  the  continuation  of  a  prayer — the  sense  of 
which  has  siitlJenly  been  interrupted. 

At  best,  there  are  very  few  organists  who  can  pUiy  an 
interlude.  Interlude-playing  implies  genius — to  a  certain 
extent :  just  as  does  extempore  playing  of  any  kind.  It 
implies  inventive  and  constructive  musical  power — the 
ability  of  suddenly  conceiving  and  carrying  out  a  musical 
subject,  in  an  artistic  and  elegant  manner.  Few  organists 
are  really  capable  of  this.  Dull,  drawling  chords,  on  each 
of  which  the  organist  portentously  pauses,  evidently  de- 
bating what  chord  to  strike  next,  are  not  interludes.  But 
even  these  are  preferable  to  that  style  of  exhibition, 
where,  with  a  single  chord  in  the  left  hand  as  basis,  (per- 
haps a  6-4  chord  I)  the  organist  gives  scope  to  his  ima- 
gination in  a  series  of  vaultings,  flourishings  and  trillings 
with  the  right  hand,  as  bizarre  and  disconnected  as  a 
Mother- Groose  melody. 

The  legitimate  application  of  interludes  is  to  the  orna- 
mental and  impressive  style  of  church  music.  A  very 
limited  application  ought  the  interlude  to  have  (if  any)  in 
the  strictly  devotional  style. 

"We  have  made,  throughout,  in  these  articles,  a  distinc- 
tion between  impressive  and  devotional  music.  In  the 
first  style,  it  was  argued,  the  words  may  be  subordi- 
nated to  the  music  :  therefore  interludes  are  here  in  place  : 
the  general  musical  effect  being  all  that  is  cared  for.  In 
the  second  style,  the  music  must  necessarily  be  subordi- 
nated to  the  words :  these  words  being  addressed  more  or 
less  directly  to  the  Supreme  Being — where  any  formal  in- 
terruption of  the  sense  and  the  continuous  flow  of  the 


112  OUR  CHURCH   MUSIC. 

thought  is  not  only  improper,  but,  to  my  own  mind,  irreve- 
rent. 

In  hymns  not  embodying  the  idea  of  worship — like  hor- 
tatory hymns — or  in  any  case  where  the  audience  are  ad- 
dressed, and  not  the  Supreme  Being,  interludes  may  be  in 
place  ;  but  here,  of  course,  with  intelligent  restric- 
tions. 

The  interlude,  in  such  cases,  should  always  have  re- 
ference to  the  preceding  (or  succeeding)  words,  and  be  a 
continuation  or  a  development  of  the  sentiment  or  feeling 
of  the  hymn. 

In  lengthy  an  interlude  ought  to  bear  some  proportion 
to  the  verse.  Interludes  which  occupy  as  much  time  as 
the  whole  verse,  or  even  two  lines  of  a  verse,  where  it  is  a 
four  line  stanza,  are,  in  my  opinion,  entirely  out  of  pro- 
portion. A  six  or  eight  line  stanza  would,  of  course,  war- 
rant a  longer  interlude  than  a  four,  in  which  an  interlude 
corresponding  in  length  with  a  single  line  is  ordinarily 
quite  sufhcient.  A  long  interlude,  and  one  in  which  an 
organist  may  elaborate  his  subject  and  allow  himself  con- 
siderable latitude,  is  always  in  place  at  the  close  of  a 
hymn  on  introducing  the  gloria  or  a  doxology — if  such  be 
sung. 

A  formal  interlude  is  of  course  always  out  of  place 
after  a  verse  the  sense  of  wliich  is  not  completed,  and 
which  shows,  by  the  punctuation,  that  the  idea  is  con- 
tinued to  the  succeeding  verse.  But  in  the  whether-or- 
no  style  of  interlude  playing,  how  often  do  we  have  an 
elaborate  musical  phrase  introduced  exactly  between  the 
members  of  a  sentence  I  For  instance  : — 


OUR  CIIURCU   MUSIC.  113 


EX.    I. 

Father,  whatc'cr  of  earthly  bliss 
Thy  sovereign  will  denies, 

Accepted  at  Thy  throne  of  grace 
Let  this  petition  rise: — 

{Long  interlude^  with  full  cadence.) 

Give  me  a  calm  and  thankful  heart, 
From  every  murmur  free  ; 

The  blessings  of  Thy  grace  impart, 
And  make  us  live  to  Thee. 


EX.    II. 

My  Saviour,  whom  absent  I  love. 

Whom  not  having  seen  I  adore, 
Whose  name  is  exalted  above 

All  wisdom,  dominion  and  power ; 

{Long  interlude^  as  before.) 

Dissolve  thou  these  bonds  that  detain 
My  soul  from  her  portion  in  Thee ; 

Ah,  strike  off  these  adamant  chains. 
And  set  me  eternally  free. 

Even  if  these  were  not  hymns  of  devotion,  where 
formal  interludes  in  any  case  were  out  of  place,  the  intro- 
duction of  them  between  two  such  verses  speaks  for 
itself. 

In  confining  the  formal  interlude  to  such  hymns  as  do 
not  embody  the  idea  of  worship,  I  would  not  imply  that 
there  should  be  no  pause  at  all,  even  between  the  stanzas 


114  OUR   CHURCH   MUSIC. 

of  a  devotional  hymn.  It  always  sounds  badly  to  break 
a  verse  squarely  ofl'  and  commence  the  next  vprse  squarely 
again — the  organ  ceasing,  for  a  moment,  between  the 
verses.  The  organist  ought  to  interweave,  as  it  were, 
the  stanzas  of  even  devotional  hymns  :  not  by  a  formal 
interlude,  which  would  interrupt  and  break  the  sense,  but 
by  what  I  should  rather  call  a  prelude  to  the  succeeding 
verse  :  which  prelude  may  consist  of  a  few  running  tones, 
somewhat  after  the  manner  of  the  German  interlude  ; 
(w^hich,  in  fact,  is  properly  a  prelude.)  Such  a  pre- 
lude any  organist  of  ordinary  ingenuity  can  invent  on  the 
moment,  giving  the  worshipper  a  moment's  breathing 
time,  and  yet  not  interrupting  the  sense  of  the  hymn — as 
would  be  the  case  in  the  long  hiatus  of  a  formal  interlude 
between  the  stanzas. 

In  the  formal  interlude  itself,  the  organist  would  do 
well  to  bear  certain  other  things  in  mind,  besides  these 
already  mentioned  as  to  length,  proportion  to  the  stanza, 
etc.  First,  to  employ  this  interlude  to  change  the  key 
for  a  moment,  and  thus  to  afford  the  needed  musical 
contrast  and  relief :  and  second,  to  avoid  a  constant  suc- 
cession of  endings — or,  in  musical  language,  a  succession 
of  full  cadences.  The  first  thing  that  young  composers 
and  organists  have  to  learn,  is  to  avoid  stopping  ; — to  go  on. 
The  gracefully-avoided  cadence  is  an  accomplishment  in 
Art,  and  something  every  musician  ought  to  acquire.  For 
this  reason,  an  organist  who  understands  what  is  beauti- 
ful in  music  will  try  to  avoid  the  tiresome  monotony  of 
this  constant  closing  and  commencing  of  four-line  tunes, 
by  ending  his  interlude,  not  always  on  the  tonica,  (thus 
making  still  more  cadences,)  but  by  leading  the  interlude 


OUR  CHURCH    ML  SIC.  115 

occasionally  to  the  doininaut  cliord,  and  then  commencing 
the  next  verse  on  the  tonica — an  inexprcj^sible  relief  to  the 
ear. 

To  recapitulate,  then — the  formal  interlude  is  only  truly 
in  place  where  music  is  the  end  and  aim,  and  the  words 
are  more  or  less  subservient  thereto  :  and  this  I  hold  to  be 
the  case  only  in  the  impressive  or  ornamental  style  of 
church  music,  and  in  hymns  whose  words  do  not  embody 
the  idea  of  worship. 

The  formal  interlude  is  out  of  place  in  a  hymn  which 
involves  an  act  of  solemn  worship  and  a  consecutive  ad- 
dress to  the  Deity.  Here,  instead  of  an  entire  break,  the 
interlude  should  be  superseded  by  a  brief  prelude,  just 
enough  to  lead,  gracefully  and  connectingly,  to  the  next 
verse — and  no  more. 

Let  a  few  words,  touching  the  number  of  verses  an- 
nounced from  the  pulpit,  close  this  chapter. 

Our  psalms  and  hymns  are,  to  a  great  extent,  far  too 
long  for  practicable  performance  in  their  completeness. 
They  have  also,  (as  has  already  been  said,)  so  little  unity, 
that  a  certain  number  of  verses  may  include  all  that  the 
clergyman  may  wish  to  have  read  or  sung  on  a  given  sub- 
ject. 

The  defects  of  our  hymns  in  this,  and  other  particulars, 
have  already  been  adverted  to.  But  we  must  take  them  for 
the  present  as  we  find  them,  and  do  with  them  as  best  we 
can.  Four  .stanzas,  prominently  embodying  some  one  sub- 
ject, or  sentiment,  or  vein  of  emotion,  is,  in  my  own 
judgment,  what  we  need  in  our  church  lyrics.  The  power 
of  attention  and  of  execution,  on  the  part  of  the  choir 
and    the    congregation,    extends    not   much   beyond    this 


116  OUR  CHURCH   MUSIC. 

limit.  It  must  still  be,  then,  the  task  of  the  clergyman  to 
form^  by  selection,  out  of  the  long  psalms  and  hymns  in 
our  collections,  such  shorter  lyrics. 

It  is  a  very  commendable  custom  in  the  Episcopal 
Church  to  sing  but  three  verses  of  a  hymn ;  the  succeed- 
ing Gloria  Fatri^  or  ''  doxology,"  forming  the  fourth. 
Where  a  stanza  has  six  or  eight  lines,  three  verses  are 
certainly  quite  enough  for  the  purposes  of  worship. 

Now  this  might  also  be  termed,  in  one  sense,  a  "  muti- 
lation of  hymns."  But  it  is  one  which  their  inordinate 
length,  in  many  cases,  and  their  un-lyrical  variety  of  sub- 
ject, have  rendered  absolutely  unavoidable. 

If  it  be  opposed  to  this,  that  David's  psalms  are  long,  and 
why  should  not  our  psalmody  and  hymnody  be  long, — it 
can  readily  be  answered,  that  there  is  a  vast  difference 
between  such  rapidity  of  chanting,  or.  musical  recitation, 
as  that  to  which  these  psalms  were  doubtless  sung,  and 
the  tardiness  of  metrical  music,  like  our  church  tunes. 

For  this  very  reason,  I  would  urge  again — let  oui 
psalms  be  chanted,  in  the  original  Bible  language,  and  let 
our  hymns   alone  be  metrically  sung. 


CHAPTER    XIII. 


MUSICAL  RHETORIC. 

The  musical  consciences  of  our  American  choirs  have 
become  so  tender  cff  late  years,  that  they  cannot  utter  such 
words  as  peace  and  rest,  and  siccet  and  repose,  above  their 
breath.  Singing  with  expression  (so  termed)  has  gone  so 
far,  that  certain  individual  words  seem  to  have  attached 
to  them  a  definite  musical  coloring :  irrespective  of  their 
context ;  irrespective  of  the  entire  period  which  alone 
embodies  the  entire  thouijht — wliich  thousrht  when  com- 
plated,  may  involve  a  very  difterent  emotion  from  such 
individual  words  as  peace,  rest,  etc.  For  instance,  take 
the  following  stanza  of  a  well-known  hymn  : — 

"  Sinners  rejoice,  and  saints  be  glad, 
Hosanna,  let  His  name  be  blest ; 
A  thousand  blessings  on  His  head, 
With  peace,  and  joy,  and  glory  rest." 

The  entire  stanza,  here,  is  evidently  a  jubilant  one,  and 
the  individual  word  peace  does  not  change  its  character. 
I  once  heard  a  choir  singing  this  hymn,  the  leader  of 
which  had  a  powerful  voice,  and  was  singing  with  such 
»treuuuUMic>N  that  the  ihoir  itself  seemed  tu  serve  but  as 


118  OUR  CHUKCH  :^usic. 

a  modest  accompaniment  to  his  solo.  The  singer,  catch- 
ing at  such  words  as  rejoice^  be  glad,  etc.,  bounded  exult- 
ingly  on.  But  suddenly  his  eye  fell  upon  the  word  peace  ; 
and  this  "  gave  him  pause."  He  was  startled,  hut  with 
ready  presence  of  mind  he  checked  his  musical  career,  and 
sinking  his  voice  to  a  whispering  pianissimo,  faintly  ar- 
ticulated the  word — peace.  This  accomplisked,  however, 
he  rallies  manfully  for  the  remainder  of  the  line,  to  depict 
the  7*07/  and  the  gJory  of  it. 

And  thus,  in  such  phrases  as  "  last,  laboring  breath," 
"the  weary  rest,"  "fainting  heart,"  "sleep  in  dust," 
etc.,  our  choirs  musically  paint  the  words.  They  faint 
on  the  "  fainting  heart,"  and  expire  on  an  "  expiring 
breathx"  Nothing,  it  seems  to  me,  can  be  more  solemnly 
ludicrous  than  to  hear  a  choir  thus  languish — and  die. 

Imitative  effects,  also,  have  been  formally  introduced 
into  our  choir  music.  In  some  of  our  hymn  books  we  see 
a  regular  programme  of  dramatic  imitation  arranged  side 
by  side  with  the  words  of  the  hymns  :  like  this  for  in- 
stance : — 

-<   >-  "  Thy  words  the  raging  winds  control, 
— ==d         And  rule  the  boisterous  deep. 
>-    — <  Thou  mak'st  the  sleeping  billows  roll, 
;ir==^         The  rolling  billows  sleep." 

In  this  verse,  then,  the  choir,  following  the  musical 
signs,  have  literally  an  oceanic  task  to  perform.  In  the 
first  line  they  must  raise  the  raging  billows,  and  then  con- 
trol them.  In  the  second,  they  must  raise  the  boisterous 
deep,  (albeit,  the  sense  indicates  that  it  is  ruled.)  In  the 
tliird  Line  the  billows  are  put  asleep,  (the  sense   supposes 


I 


OUli   Clll'UCII   ML'SIU.  119 

the  billows  primarily  asleep,)  and  then  again  aroused. 
In  the  fourth  the  waves  are  linally  to  be  stilled.  And 
all  this  is  rehearsed  to  the  iSujirenie  Being,  as  a  musical 
illustration  to  Him  of  the  manner  ui  which  He  accom- 
plishes these  wonders  ! 

Another  instance  may  be  cited  : — 

See  the  storm  of  vengeance  gathering, 
O'er  the  path  you  dare  to  tread, 
— =c  Hark  !  the  awful  thunders  rolling, 
Loud  and  louder  o'er  your  head." 

The  gathering  storm  is  here  to  bo  depicted — a  spiritual 
storm  is  to  be  illustrated  by  a  material.  I  remember  as 
a  boy  how  impressed  I  was  by  the  dramatic  effect  of  the 
heavy  sub-bass  pipes  which  the  organist  was  in  the  habit 
of  bringing  to  bear  upon  rolling'  thunder s^  until  the 
church  window^s  rattled  again. 

Now  this  hymn  is  intended  as  an  earnest  appeal  to  the 
erring  soul.  But,  if  the  spiritual  thunders  of  heaven  be 
referred  to,  are  w^e  to  hurl  material  thunders  into  his 
ear  ? 

Even  if  dramatic  effect  alone  were  sought,  would  not 
an  eliective  reader  sink  his  voice  to  a  whisper ;  and  turn 
the  listener's  ear  inward,  to  the  thunder  of  his  own  con- 
science— rather  than  stun  by  material  noise  ?  Tf  it  comes 
to  material  dramatic  effects,  the  machinery  of  the  play- 
house— that  of  rolling  heavy  weights  over  the  ceiling — 
were  far  more  etl'ective,  and  truer  to  nature,  than  the  rum- 
bling of  sub-bass  pipes. 

Singing"  ivit/i  rj/'ect  has  thus  grown  into  a  great  abuso 
in   choirs:    their  meretricious   laboring  after  expression, 


123  oL'i:  ciiui.cii  MUSIC. 

by  selecting  certain  isolated  words,  without  reference  to 
the  context  and  the  entire  sense  of  the  period — their  faint- 
ing and  rallying,  sighing  and  expiring,  are  both  rhetorical- 
ly and  musically  preposterous. 

But  let  us  look,  a  moment,  at  this  subject  of  expression, 
and  endeavor  to  reduce  it,  if  possible,  to  some  degree  of 
form. 

Poetry  and  music  may  be  said  to  have  each  a  peculiar 
style  of  expression.  Rhetorical  expression  might  be  termed 
shading :  musical,  coloring. 

Shading,  for  instance,  is  the  expression  applied  to  a 
crayon  sketch  ;  or  to  a  statue,  where  the  chiselled  features 
and  the  gentle  swell  of  the  concealed  muscles  cast  their 
natural  shadows.  Coloring  is  the  expression  applied  to  an 
oil  painting.     One  is  an  intensified  form  of  the  other. 

Thus,  musical  expression  is  an  intensified  form  of  rheto- 
rical. 

The  signs  of  musical  expression  are  the  f — f  f — p — pp — 
mf — cres — dim — sfz — and  other  marks  familiar  to  all. 
Wlien  such  signs  are  applied  in  vocal  music,  the  voices 
are  treated,  virtually,  as  instruments  :  for  these  are,  strict- 
ly, more  instrumental  than  vocal  effects  ;  they  are  produced 
on  instruments  with  far  greater  ease  than  with  the  voice. 

Rhetorical  expression,  on  the  other  hand,  is  indicated 
only  by  the  changing  sense  :  and  the  voice  of  a  good  de- 
claimer  involuntarily  follows  the  thought  he  is  uttering, 
and  takes  its  tone  accordingly.  It  swells  and  falls,  rises 
and  sinks  in  intelligent  cadence  to  the  thought.  Now, 
at  times,  in  moments  of  great  excitement,  as  when  much 
is  at  stake,  the  voice  of  an  orator  will  rise  llirough  rhe- 
torical expression  into  musical.     His  voice  becomes  a  mu- 


OUR   CUlHCil    MUSIC.  121 

sical  instrument — the  urgency  of  the  moment  forces  the 
speaker  into  such  vivid  intensity  of  expression,  that  his 
voice  actually  si /f si's  with  excitement. 

But,  if  nuisic  and  poetry  have  eacli  a  peculiar  style 
of  expression,  the  question  arises — in  a  union  of  poetry 
'jnd  music,  wliich  style  of  expression  shall  be  adopted  ? 

In  former  chapters,  on  the  treatment  of  words,  we  have 
shown  that  music  may  be  made  subordinate  to  poetry,  or 
|X)etry  to  music  :  this  subordination  of  the  one  or  the  other 
bein<T  shown  by  the  treatment  of  the  text  at  the  hands 
of  the  composer. 

The  nile  follows  naturally,  then,  that — 

AVliere  music  is  subordmated  to  poetry,  rhetorical  ex- 
pression most  fitly  appertains :  but  where  poetry  is 
subordinated  to  music,  musical  expression  with  equal  fit- 
ness appertains. 

This  rule,  then,  can  now  be  applied  to  sacred  music.  In 
a  purely  artistic  style  of  church  music,  where  impressive 
and  ornamental  eflfects  are  sought,  and  where,  as  has  been 
shown,  the  words  are,  or  may  be  subordinated  to  the 
tones,  musical  expression  properly  appertains.  But  in  our 
devotions,  music  is  necessarily  subordinated  to  the  words ; 
and  here,  simple  rhetorical  expression  is  unquestionably 
alone  befitting.  For  musical  expression,  from  the  difKculty 
of  producing  it,  necessarily  withdraws  the  mind  from  the 
sense :  whereas,  in  our  devotions,  the  mind  should 
strictly  be  confined  to  the  sense. 

Therefore,  in  our  devotional  music,  let  us  not  try  to 
make  skillful  instruments  of  our  voices.  Let  us  strive, 
rather,  after  a  clear  enunciation  of  the  words.  Let  our 
minds  be  intently  on  the  sense :  and  a  befitting  expres- 

r, 


122  OUR  CHURCH   MUSIC. 

sion  will  involuntarily  follow  that  sense,  as  the  shadow 
follows  the  substance.  lieave  a  more  elaborate  and  orna- 
mental coloring  to  the  artistic  style  :  and  let  our  voices  be 
toned  down  to  the  quiet  level  of  devotion. 

In  addition  to  what  has  already  been  said  as  to  imita- 
tive and  descriptive  effects  in  music,  a  few  general  illus- 
trations may  well  be  added. 

In  a  city,  not  a  thousand  miles  from  New- York,  the 
Oratorio  of  the  Creation  was  once  performed  by  a  musical 
society.  In  the  course  of  this  oratorio  occurs  the  well- 
known  passage,  "  And  Grod  said,  let  there  be  light;"  in 
which,  on  the  word  light,  a  grand  crash  of  instruments  is 
brought  to  bear.  Before  commencing  the  chorus  in  which 
this  passage  occurs,  the  gas-lights  in  the  hall,  by  means 
of  the  main-screw,  had  been  half-dimmed.  At  this  main- 
screw,  (like  the  man  at  the  bellows  of  an  organ,)  was 
placed  an  operator,  between  whom  and  the  hall  of  per- 
formance a  communication  was  established.  At  the  criti- 
cal moment,  on  the  word  "  light,"  simultaneously  with  the 
crash  of  instruments,  the  operator  turned  vigorously,  and 
a  blinding  flash  of  light  electrified  the  audience. — The 
man  at  the  screw  proved  himself  an  even  more  dazzling' 
genius  than  the  composer. 

Again,  in  another  city,  Longfellow's  beautiful  poem 
Excelsior  was  performed.  The  cry  of  the  youth,  who 
bears  the  standard  in  ascending  the  mountain,  was  given 
in  the  composition  by  a  single  voice.  This  voice — that  of  a 
little  girl  in  the  present  instance — was  heard  to  come  very 
faintly,  from  some  unknown  quarter.  At  last,  however, 
the  machinery  of  the  effect  was  discovered  :. — ^the  little 


OUR  cnuBcn  music.  123 

Miss  was  singing  Excelsior,  fainter  and  fainter,  down  a 
gradually-closed  register,  from  the  floor  above  ! 

Now,  descriptive  elVects  are  often  heard  in  the  various 
departments  of  secular  art,  where,  in  skillful  hands,  and 
tastefully  apjdied,  they  may  be  in  j)lace.  An  instance  of 
this  we  find  in  the  Sfjnphonia  Eroi'ca.  This  symphony 
describes  the  career  and  death  of  a  hero  :  and  at  the  close 
of  one  of  the  movements,  the  last  moments  of  the  hero  are 
musically  painted  :  his  song  of  victory  becomes  fainter, 
the  melody  is  very  skillfully  interrupted,  and  heard,  at  last, 
only  at  intervals,  in  half  inarticulate  fragments,  till  a  low, 
mournful  sigh  closes  the  scene.  The  effect  is  beautiful 
and  impressive.  It  is  also  in  place,  and  appropriate  to  the 
subject. 

Again,  in  vocal  music  we  have  Beethoven's  well  known, 
exquisite  song  of  Adelaide.  Reference  is  made  in 
this  song  to  the  nightingale  :  and  in  the  instrumental  ac- 
companiment we  hear  the  note  of  the  sweet  singer.  In 
the  Oratorio  of  the  Creation,  the  music  throughout  is  de- 
scriptive of  the  words  :  though  these  descriptive  effects 
are  more  often  given  to  the  accompanying  instruments 
than  to  voices.  There  is  also  much  of  this  descriptive 
music  in  Beethoven's  pastoral  symphony,  which  he  com- 
posed in  a  retired  country  place,  in  the  open  air,  in  the 
midst  of  beautiful  scenery.  You  hear  all  rural  and  wood- 
land sounds :  among  others,  the  sweet  note  of  the  cuckoo 
is  distinctly  audible. 

These  descriptive  effects  have  also,  (as  is  well  known,) 
been  introduced  into  poetry.  The  familiar  lines  of  Virgil 
are  of  this  character  : — 


124  OUR   CHURCH   MUSIC. 


"  Quadrupedante  putrem  sonitu  quatit  ungula  campum."— ' 
Aeneidos  lib.  viii.  595. 

Here,  the  gallop  of  horses  is  distinctly  recognised  in  the 
rhythm.  In  Richard  Dana's  beautiful  poem,  too,  of  the 
Buccaneer^  occur  these  lines  : — 

But  when  the  light  winds  lie  at  rest, 

And  on  the  glassy,  heaving  sea, 
The  black  duck,  with  her  glossy  hreast, 
Sits,  swinging  silently — 
How  beautiful !  no  ripples  break  the  reach, 
And  silvery  waves  go  noiseless  up  the  beach. 

The  swinging,  swaying  motion  of  the  duck,  and  the 
gliding  trip  of  the  waves,  are  here  beautifully  depicted. 

These  are  but  single  instances,  both  of  music  and  poetry. 
There  are  many  such  to  be  found.  But  it  will  be  re- 
marked, first,  that  these  effects  are  introduced  mainly  into 
the  secular  department  of  art ;  and  even  in  case  of  the 
oratorio,  have  no  connection  with  an  act  of  devotion.  And 
second,  these  effects  when  introduced,  are  done  not  only 
in  good  taste,  and  with  a  certain  propriety  of  connection, 
but  (which  is  still  more  important,)  adequate  time  is  taken 
to  produce  them.  In  the  dying  scene,  for  instance,  in 
Beethoven's  symphony,  he  does  not  compress  the  effect 
into  a  line  of  eight  notes,  (as  is  sometimes  attempted  by 
church  choirs,)  but  he  employs  hundreds  and  thousands  of 
notes — a  long  musical  passage.  He  gives  his  hero,  as  it 
were,  time  to  die. 

A  very  frequent  attempt  in  music,  also,  has  been  the 
painting   of  a  thunder-storm,  and  the   succeeding  clear, 


OUR   CHURCH   MUSIC.  125 

serene  weatlier.  Beethoven  has  done  this  in  several  in- 
stances. But  here,  again,  he  takes  time  for  it :  the  storm 
gathers,  and  comes  majestically  on,  with  becoming  delibe- 
ration and  impressiveness.  There  is  no  attempt  to  raise, 
suddenly,  raging  winds  and  billows,  as  in  the  space  of  a 
hymn-line  of  eight  metrical  feet. 

At  best,  however,  this  descriptive  character  of  tones  and 
words,  seems  to  me  to  belong  rather  to  a  lower,  than  a 
higher  order  of  artistic  effect.  It  may  justly  be  considered 
so,  I  think,  in  music.  For  in  a  case  where  mere  natural 
sounds  are  imitated,  (as  in  the  instance  mentioned  of  the 
cuckoo,  in  Beethoven's  pastoral  symphony,)  the  most  you 
can  say  is,  that  Beethoven,  for  a  moment,  ceases  to  be  Bee- 
thoven, to  be — a  cuckoo.  And,  in  cuckoo  music,  the 
cuckoo  herself  is  certainly  the  better  musician  of  the  two. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 


SECULAR  EFFECTS  IN  CHURCH  MUSIC. 

1.  The  sentimental,  languishing  effect. 

2.  The  dance  effect. 

3.  The  rub-a-dub  effect. 

1.  One  of  our  American  painters,  a  man  of  refined  and 
quick  sensibilities,  once  told  me,  that  the  music  of  a 
church  in  Connecticut  he  was  in  the  habit  of  attending, 
was,  for  the  most  part,  of  so  sentimental  and  languishing 
a  character,  that  he  habitually  went  forth,  revelling  in 
nothing  but  dreams  of  love  and  romance.  He  stated  that 
this  effect  of  the  music  upon  him  was  irresistible — to  the 
exclusion  of  all  other  desirable  effects  of  service  or  ser- 
mon. 

This  can  be  understood  by  the  musician.  There  is  very 
much  such  music  sung  in  our  churches  :  music,  which 
would  better  express  the  song  "  Oft  in  the  Stilly  Night," 
or  "  Meet  me  by  Moonlight,"  than  the  sacred  words  to 
which  it  is  applied.  Such  music  is  most  often  found 
adapted  to  penitential  hymns  ;  or  such,  generally,  as  em- 
body the  emotion  of  sorroin. 

Now,  we  are  too  apt  in  music,  (as,  haply,  in  religion,) 
to  mistake  emotions.     And  as  this  mistake  may  oftenest 


OLU   CllUKClI   MUSIC.  127 

be  made  in  the  emotion  hero  alluded  to,  it  may  be  well  to 
give  it  a  moment's  tjionght. 

There  is  a  vast  dillerenee  between  sorrow — and  sorrow  : 
between  the  sorrow  bclitting  a  })eniteutial  hymn,  and 
that,  for  instance,  whieli  we  experience  in  thwarted 
or  disappointed  love.  For,  rellect  a  moment.  Is  there  no 
difference  in  the  shadow  which  falls  upon  the  soul  under 
the  frown  of  an  offended  Deity,  and  that  which  floats  over 
it  from  the  cloud  that  intercepts,  momentarily,  the  moon- 
light of  an  earthly  affection  ? — or  the  dreamy  shadows 
which  glide  softly  over  it  from  those  thousand  fleeting 
clouds  which  arise  in  the  heart's  heaven  ;  which  come 
and  go,  we  know  not  how,  or  whence ;  which  form  and 
dissolve,  we  hardly  know  by  what  agency ;  but  which 
leave  an  impression  wholly  fleeting  and  evanescent  ? 

What  are  the  elementij  of  this  deeper,  spiritual  sorrow  ? 

They  are  a  sense  of  guilt ;  a  feeling  of  ill-desert ;  a  cor- 
respondent feeling  of  dread  and  deepest  reverence  before 
the  offended  Being  ;  a  certain  painful  turning-away  of  the 
soul  from  its  sin  and  from  itsell^ — where  originated  the 
sin. 

And  what  are  the  elements  of  the  latter  emotion  ? 

A  feeling  of  earthly  regret ;  a  tender,  and  to  the  heart, 
oft  agreeable,  melancholy  ;  a  certain  sweet  and  cherished 
sentimentality  of  the  heart,  which  loves  even  to  believe 
that  it  is  slightly  unhappy. 

The  difference  between  the  two,  in  a  word,  is  that  wide 
one,  w^hich  characterizes  all  sorrowful  emotion  in  wliich 
conscience  bears  a  part — and  in  which  it  bears  none. 

From  this  marked  difference,  then,  in  the  two  emotions, 
there  surely  fchould  be  as  marked  a  difference  in  the  music 


123  OUR   CllUKCIi    ilLSlC. 

wliicli  expresses  these  emotions.  The  sentimental  music- 
machinery — for  there  is  such — should,  here,  never  be 
brought  into  play.  That  langnid  style  of  composition ; 
that  continual  suspension  of  the  melody  before  the  chords  ; 
that  constant  reiteration  of  the  sentimental  3d,  as  heard 
in  "  Oft  in  the  Stilly  Night  ;"■  those  excessive  dynamic 
appliances  of  piano^  pianissimo^  dim^  cres.,  and  similar 
peculiarities  of  a  die-away  style  of  music,  should  never 
have  place   in  the   penitential  hymns  of  a  church. 

2.  The  dance  effect. — Dance  music  is  naturally  ad- 
dressed to  the  feet — the  object  being  to  set  these  in  motion. 
This  object  is  accomplished  by  certain  definite  musical 
appliances.  The  rhythm  is  of  that  lively,  exciting  quality, 
or  of  that  wavy,  swaying  character,  ^Yhich  almost  ne- 
cessarily induces  the  dance.  The  melody  is  of  that 
light,  airy,  playful,  bantering  character,  which  pro- 
duces a  correspondingly  airy  and  agreeable  train  of  ideas, 
and  puts  the  person  in  a  dancing  mood. 

This  is  hardly  a  church  effect :  and  yet  we  have,  in  a 
large  class  of  our  American  psalm  tunes,  that  peculiar 
tripping,  triplet  measure,  wliich,  although  not  quite  up  to 
the  high  pulse  of  our  modern  dance  music,  is  yet  an  ap- 
proximation to  it :  being,  in  fact,  exactly  the  measure  and 
exactly  the  time  to  which  our  parents  and  grand-parents 
used  to  thread  their  mazy  dance  in  the  old-fashioned 
minuet. 

3.  The  ruh-a-dub  effect. — In  military  music  the  muscles 
are  appealed  to  ;  but  in  rather  a  different  manner  to  dance 
music.  Here,  antagonism  is  to  be  aroused.  Conse- 
quently, a  prompt,  energetic  style  of  rhythm  is  jfdopted : 
a   series  of  surprises  in  the  time   is  introduced.     A   so- 


OL'i:   CilLIJCll    ML'SIC.  129 

called  syncopated  style  of  measure  is  employed,  by  which 
the  tones,  theinsolves,  seem  to  come  into  conflict,  and  clash 
with,  each  other.  The  eiVect  upon  the  mind,  as  upon  the 
muscles,  is  an  exceedingly  belligerent  one. 

This  is  surely  not  a  church  efVect.  And  yet  we  fre- 
quently hear  in  our  modern  church  music  a  march  rhytlmi, 
which  sets  more  than  one  impatient  foot  in  motion  and 
excites  a  military  antagonism  in  the  breast  of  the  listener, 
not  to  be  mistaken. 

To  such  secular  effects  as  these  in  our  church  music, 
we  may,  by  habit,  hav^  become  somewhat  accustomed ; 
but  they  are  surely  none  the  less  objectionable  on  that  ac- 
count. Music  is  an  insidious  thing  ;  and  inasmuch  as  it 
docs  not  appeal  to  the  intellect,  but  to  the  senses,  it  is,  to 
most  persons,  (like  fragrance,)  a  very  vague  thing.  But 
let  us  try  to  intellectualize  this  subject  a  little  :  to  make 
it,  at  least,  more  definite,  by  transferring  what  has  been 
done  in  music  to  other  more  tangible  arts. 

For  instance,  the  military  effect,  as  stated,  has  been 
introduced  into  our  church  music.  Now  in  many  churches 
we  have  pictures,  on  sacred  subjects.  Suppose,  now,  in- 
stead of  this  sacred  subject,  we  have  some  subject  corres- 
ponding with  the  military  style  in  music — a  picture  of 
Mars,  the  Grod  of  War ;  with  his  helmet  and  pike  and 
shield. 

Again,  the  dance  effect  has  been  applied  in  church  mu- 
sic. Suppose,  therefore,  a  picture  of  Terpsichore,  the  god- 
dess of  the  dance,  crowned  with  laurel. 

Sentimental  and  languishing  effects  have  been  ap- 
plied. Suppose,  as  an  altar-piece,  Erato,  the  goddess 
of  tender  and  amorous  poetry,  with  a  lyre  in  her  right  hand, 


130  OUK   OilUKCH   MUSIC. 

and  a  lute  in  her  left :  at  her  side  a  figure  of  Love,  with 
his  lighted  flambeau. 

All  this  would  seem  both  inappropriate  and  profane. 
Yet,  such  pictures  would  act  feebly,  as  compared  with 
music.  "We  should  not  hear  the  shout  of  the  Grod  of  War, 
or  the  clash  of  shield  and  spear  ;  nor  would  our  blood,  as  in 
hearing,  be  kindled  thereby.  The  ringing  timbrel  of  Terp- 
sichore would  not  seductively  invite  to  the  dance  ;  neither 
would  the  voluptuous  strains  of  Erato  float  to  our  ears,  or 
Love  wave  the  perfume  of  his  torch  to  our  senses.  But  mu- 
sic, unlike  painting  and  unlike  scufpture,  is  a  living,  breath- 
ing art.  In  the  production  of  eilect,  whether  secular  or 
sacred, — and  in  appealing  to  the  emotions,  whether  hal- 
lowed or  unhallowed,  we  hear  her  voice — she  lives  be- 
fore us  ! 

The  truth  is,  most  of  the  music  at  present  heard  in  our 
churches  essentially  differs  from  no  other  music  :  sacred 
and  secular  music  are  nearly  identical — so  far  as  style  is 
concerned.  Our  psalm  and  hymn  tunes  are  constructed 
on  the  form  of  the  German  popular  part-song\s.  The  old 
English  glee  has  also  served  as  a  model.  Grcrman  con- 
vivial songs,  soldiers'  songs,  students'  songs,  are  actual- 
ly found  bodily  transferred  to  our  books  of  church 
psalmody,  and  aj*e  sung  in  our  churches  as  sacred  music. 
Bekrdnzt  mit  Laub  den  lieben,  vollen  Becher — Wreathe 
with  green  the  flowing  goblet — (a  German  convivial 
song,)  is  now  enthusiastically  rendered  to  sacred  words. 
And,  on  the  other  hand,  many  American  psalm  tunes  are 
of  so  essentially  uproarious  a  character,  that  they  might 
equally  well  be  transferred  to  German  Kneipen^  and  as  ad- 


OL'li  CllUKCH   MUSIC.  131 

inirably  serve  tlie  purpose  of  these  gatherings — so  far  as 
the  music  goes. 

Now,  the  effect  of  music,  after  all,  is  what  we  have 
mainly  to  consider  :  and  the  only  object  of  a  so-called 
church-style  of  composition,  is  to  exclude  objectionable 
effects,  and  secure  such  effects  as  are  solemn  and  church- 
like. 

There  was — once  upon  a  time — a  pure  church  style  of 
music :  strongly  contradistinguished  from  the  secular  style. 
Just  as  we  now  have  a  sacred  and  secular  style  of  paint- 
ing and  a  sacred  and  secular  style  of  sculpture,  so  we 
once  had  a  sacred  and  secular  style  of  music.  The  age  of 
this  pure,  church  school,  is  now  passed- — or  passing.  And 
yet,  the  old  masters  well  understood  the  means — rhythmi- 
cal and  melodical — of  avoiding  such  secular  effects  as  those 
I  have  detailed.  That  interwoven  style  of  composition — 
that  equipoise  of  rhythm,  forbidding  too  great  a  simul- 
taneousness  and  regularly-recurring  ictus  of  the  parts, 
these,  and  other  arcana  of  the  art,  are  familiar  to  all 
thorough-bred  musicians. 

But  this  ancient  style  of  composition,  as  was  stated, 
is  now,  for  the  most  part,  rejected  and  handed  over  to  the 
mould  and  dust  of  a  bygone  age.  Chorals  and  counter- 
point are  at  considerable  discount  in  the  modern  church — • 
albeit,  here  and  there  a  sturdy  contrapuntist  still  clings 
to  his  cherished  ideal  of  the  past. 

"Well — the  pulse  of  the  world  beats  faster  than  it 
used  to  do.  It  has  a  feverish  throb  in  our  day  (at  least 
in  our  country)  which  cannot  suffer  anything  that  is — 
even  musically — slow.  We  have  swung  entirely  loose 
from  our  musical  church  moorings,  and,  as  when  the  courser 


132  OUR  ciiURcn  music. 

has  taken  the  bit  into  his  mouth,  we  must  guide  where  we 
cannot  restrain. 

But  let  us  at  least  understand,  that  the  same  music  will 
not  suit  all  purposes.  Some  music  appeals  to  the  muscles 
— and  only  to  these.  Some  music  appeals  to  the  heels — 
and  only  to  these.  Some  music  appeals  to  the  head,  (like 
a  coldly  imaginative  or  learned  music,)  and  some  to  the 
heart.  Here,  then,  is  a  field  of  investigation  for  the  mu- 
sician. He  must  know  what  kind  of  music  appeals  to 
the  heart,  what  kijid  to  the  head  ;  what  kind  to  the  mus- 
cles or  the  heels  : — in  a  word,  what  materials  of  his 
Art  are  to  be  used  to  produce,  or  to  avoid,  these  effects. 
Briefly,  he  must  know,  so  far  as  the  materials  of  his 
Art  go,  how  the  more  elevated  part  of  our  nature  is  to 
be  appealed  to,  and  how  the  less  elevated. 

But,  added  to  this,  the  composer  should  have  a  clear 
idea  of  what  he  is  about  to  express  in  his  music.  A 
joyous  ascription  of  praise,  or  shout  of  thanksgiving,  is 
not  to  be  a  convivial  shout.  Christian  courage  and  spir- 
itual ardor  are  not  to  be  animal  courage  or  military  ardor. 
Spiritual  love  is  not  to  be  sensuous  love  :  far  less  sensual 
— a  quality  we  sometimes  hear  in  Italian  operatic 
music.  Contrition  and  spiritual  sorrow  are  not  senti- 
mental sorrow,  or  the  feeble  languishment  of  sighing 
melancholy. 

In  a  word,  the  voice  of  the  church,  as  heard  in  her 
solemn  music,  should  be  full  of  joy — but  full  of  dignity. 
Full  of  tenderness — but  full  of  manly  depth.  Full  of  sor- 
row and  hearty  contrition — but  full  of  earnest  strength. 
Full  of  love — but  full  of  awe  :  and  therefore  utterly  free 
from  sentimentality  and  languishment. 


OUR  CnURCU  MUSIC.  138 

Having  said  this,  we  can  go  no  further,  but  leave  the 
composer  to  his  own  instincts,  to  invent  new  forms — if  ho 
be  able — adequately  to  till  the  place  of  the  old  ones  ;  ever 
bearing  in  mind,  the  while,  that  there  are  certain  secular 
effects  which  are  invariably  to  be  excluded — that  there 
are  certain  emotions  and  passions  which  are  nevej  to  be 
awakened — that  there  are  certain  associations  (as  in  the 
adaption  of  other  music  to  church  purposes,)  which 
are  never  to  be  admitted.  Remembering,  also,  that 
in  the  church,  men  are  neither  on  parade,  neither  are 
they  dancers,  nor  lovers,  nor  sentimentalists,  nor  dream- 
ers :  but  that  they  are  there  for  a  purpose — and  that 
a  holy  one. 


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